


A Splash of Green

by FairyFans363



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A splash of Ladrien, Adrien is exhausted, Adrinette, Alya is frustrated, Chat is so done with this, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Generous usage of hair dye, Half-Reveal, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladybug guessing Chat's hair colour, Make appoinment to your dentist children, Marichat, Marinette is amused, Nino doesn't get paid enough for this, Shenagigans, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, lots of screaming, minimum angst, screaming reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2019-11-19 02:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18129893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyFans363/pseuds/FairyFans363
Summary: There was nothing that could turn Marinette Dupain-Cheng into a tongue-tied stuttering girl other than Adrien Agreste. Or, so she would think.Turned out, watching Adrien dressed in the outfit that was meant to be a gift for Chat Noir, made her turn into a puddle of stuttering goo. Well, who wouldn’t? This was Adrien Agreste afterall. Put him into the outfits for Chat Noir and voila! He’d make you burn!On a other side, well....This story is not all about outfit for Chat Noir. You'll know how Marinette ends up making clothes for her Kitty and how said clothes ended up on Adrien.Anyhow, Marichat on the way!!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [edelet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edelet/gifts).



> Hello, ahem. So, this is based on Eden's drawing. Her exquisite, as per usual, drawing. I already asked her for me to make this story based on said drawing a year ago and voila! I only managed (finally managed *thank God) to publish this today, since college decided to just dump a mountain of busy days for me. Anyway, here you go. I hope you enjoy. (Yes I'm juggling two unfinished stories (check out the other one. Titled 'I didn't mean to kiss your baby') at once in this fandom. I'll switch from one to another to update. Wish me luck!)

It was a clear, bright night. Slightly felt warmer than usual. A nice night to go for a walk…or maybe, for the two superheroes in Paris, it was a brilliant time for them to run roof to roof across the city for their usual patrol, before stopping on top of Arc de Triomphe, bantering back and forth a few times, then set off to their usual spot on top of the Eiffel Tower. It was a good moment for that. But currently, Ladybug was slightly preoccupied with the sight of her partner-in-crime.

Chat Noir always had these neon green eyes which seemed to lit the whole midnight black colour of his costume. But most of all, he had this angelic look blonde hair, which just seems to tame down the whole mysteriousness brought by his costume. Somehow made him look more humane. Ladybug was used to those traits of her partner, she even silently swore to herself that she could even spot Chat Noir from between thousands of other blonde haired guys in Paris. That’s why, the moment Chat Noir landed softly on top of the Eiffel Tower that night, Ladybug could not help but felt her gaze and attention is very much occupied by streaks of BRIGHT Flamingo colour which took place on Chat’s whole hair. Ladybug gasped for a while. With his hair dyed in flamingo, suddenly he seemed very much like a stranger to her.

“Chat?” she asked.

“Yes, My Lady?”Chat grinned towards her.

“Wait…you’re…Chat right? You’re my _chaton_ right?”

Chat chuckled, “Well, yes, of course, My Lady. I am. May I ask, why the questions?”

Ladybug’s eyes squinted in curiosity. Why Chat dyed his hair though? Rebellious phase? But why flamingo? Not that he did not look good in flamingo (She was never going to admit it, but if there was a guy that would definitely able to pull off that flamingo coloured hair and still look incredibly stylish, that would be Chat Noir), but she always thought that green was more of his colour.

“You just….look different. Bad hair day or rebellious phase, _Chaton_?” she said.

Chat tugged on his hair, “Well, neither, My Lady. I got these from my work today. Apparently, the people from my work thought that flamingo pink is a brilliant idea.”

Ladybug burst into laughter, “Oh really? Now I’m getting curious. What’s your work might be? An assistant in a hair salon? Guess I need to be prepared to see you in various other hairstyles, Chat”

Chat grinned, “Shall I take that as a request, My Lady? Because being requested by a lovely lady is equal to be a- _purr-_ ciated by her also. Moreover when the lady truly is the cat’s meow”

Ladybug shrugged and rolled her eyes, “Not your worst record Chat. But you need to tone down those lame puns before I throw you to the Seine for you to shut up.”

Chat leaned closer and wiggled his eyebrows in a hyperbolic ‘suggestive’ way, “Or maybe you can shut me up in the other way, Bugaboo?”

Ladybug pushed him backwards softly, “You’re getting ahead of yourself, _minou_ ”

“Awww, you know that myself is _paw-_ some, Ladybug. Just admit it. You love my _purr-_ fect puns _fur-_ real.”

“Oh my God, shut up Chat. Two was still bearable. But three at once is intolerable!”

“You look _purr-_ ty when you mad, Bugaboo and I'm not _kittening_ around about this one!”

“GOD! JUST….SHUT. UP!”

“Admit it Bugaboo, you do love my _flame_ -ingo hair!”

***

Adrien Agreste showed up late for school the next day. Marinette could see the curious looks on her classmates when they saw he wore a pull-up hoodie, with the hood secured on top of his head. The hoodie, Marinette quickly put on a mental note, was from Gabriel’s latest collection. Midnight black, plain on the front side (Although Marinette bet if she came close enough, she would see the trademark ‘G’ embroidered in black, somewhere in front), but on the back side, embroidered in glistening silky threads, a pair of wings which grew from Adrien’s shoulder blades and ended on the end of the hoodie. The wings were dark blue in colour, slowly went into a lighter shade of blues, until it reaches the very pale blue, almost white, on their tips.

“‘Sup, man? What’s with the hood?” said Nino once Adrien sat beside him.

“Father’s latest collection. Snatched it from the set”answer Adrien, his voice thick with sleep-depriveness.

“Nah dude, I mean what’s with that hood? On your head”Nino asked again, pointing the hood.

Adrien squirmed uncomfortably on his seat. His hand tugged on the hood like he wanted to not wear it but he had to.

“Yea, Agreste, what’s with that hood on top of your head? Does sunshine child finally go rebellious stage? No offence man, that hoodie rocks, but…you know? It’s not…well, it’s not you” asked Kim.

Adrien shrugged and finally uncovered his head. His classmates gasped. Alya gasped the loudest, meanwhile, Marinette felt as if her eyes turned into the size of saucers. Adrien’s hair, instead of the usual angelic blonde shade, was dyed in that silver balayage. Some shades were in a darker tone of silver.

Kim whistled, “Damn, you rock that hair, man. What gives?”

“Early photoshoot. I thought Mme. Bustier won’t be pleased with this kind of hair”

“What? Adrien, are you colour blind or something? I’m pretty sure Juleka has that kind of purple hair and my pink hair is not natural unless I craved raspberry or something before I was born. Saying Mme. Bustier won’t be pleased with your hair is equal to hoping me and Juleka got thrown into detention with you” Alix said.ule

Most people in that class snorted in amusement towards Alix’s statement. True. Juleka’s hair and Alix’s were not the ones you would call as natural. Still having the good-natured amused expression, Nino patted Adrien’s back,

“Relax, dude. Mme. Bustier is chill.”

“Just for your knowledge, Adrien, you should join me and Luka to hairdresser sometimes. I’m sure you’ll look good in vibrant hair colours”Juleka murmured, backing up Alix’s earlier statement.

Adrien laughed good-naturedly towards Juleka’s mention to her older brother. It has been some time since the first time he started to hang out with Luka. It was after Frozer, he still remembered. After Kagami bluntly declared to HIS face about HIS OWN interest towards Marinette (which he tried not to think too much on it. Having Ladybug as his love interest is confusing enough and he did not need Marinette to get tangled up in that mess) and well, of course, after Luka and Chloé started to have this kind of flirting-not-flirting phase (according to Chloé, it was because ‘Luka’s jaw dropped to the ground when he saw her at her birthday party where Juleka brought him to there’), leading to a very confusing love triangle between Luka, Chloé, and Kim. He and Luka got their next civil interaction after Captain Hardrock, because of their similar interest towards Jagged Stone, which also made Marinette being included in their small Jagged groupie.

Then, the three of them started going to Jagged’s concerts together, went merchandise hunting together (even once they nearly got into three-way wrestling because they had been eyeing for the same T-Shirt which only had one last stock behind), and eventually, they started hanging out more. Sure, Nino, Adrien, Marinette, and Alya still hung out way more often. But, Adrien was proud of himself to have another group he could hang out with. And these latest days, Adrien had finally discovered that he could let out his Chat side easier when he hung out with Luka. Nino was his best friend, but he still did not feel right to let out Chat’s sassiness or his suave way or his ‘bad tendencies’ to the maximum. And only to add a sprinkle on top, the way Marinette reacted to his Chat side when he hung out with her and Luka was amusing. He could say how she would mentally compare his traits to when he hung out with Nino, Alya, and her.

“Maybe I’ll do that, Juleka”Adrien finally said.

Then, Mme. Bustier made her way to the class, after giving out a very amused look towards Adrien’s hair, she started the lesson.

Marinette, however, sitting behind Adrien, was totally unfocused. She admitted. The colour on Adrien’s hair totally matched for him, but then what will not? But on the other side, seeing that hair, somehow made her thought flew to Chat Noir with his stupid flamingo hair. The image of Chat pouting while tugging on his flamingo hair made her snort, which made Mme. Bustier looked at her in a very accusative way. Smiled apologetically towards the teacher, Marinette quickly scribbled on her tablet, pretending to take notes although she really was not.

The image of Chat in flamingo hair still haunted Marinette, even until the lunch break bell rang. Marinette stared on her classmates who tidied up their stuff and suddenly, Chat’s punch line last night crawled into her mind,

‘ _Admit it Bugaboo, you do love my flame-ingo hair!’_

This time, Marinette burst out laughing. She still remembered Chat’s embarrassed grin that he tried to flash despite his clear dislike towards his hair. Alya stared at her in a very curious way,

“What’s wrong with you, gurl?”

Marinette kept laughing, even Nino and Adrien turned themselves towards her out of curiosity. Marinette rarely laughs with all of her heart like that.

“Uh…is it because of my hair?”Adrien finally asked.

Marinette blinked open her eyes and looked at Adrien’s sheepish and embarrassed expression. Usually, she would grow shy and stammered because of that (Although lately, her stammers reduced greatly since she and Adrien started to hang out more because of Luka). But this time, that expression reminded her so much of Chat’s last night and it made her laugh more.

“Uh…so it’s right…?”Adrien asked again, in the same embarrassed tone.

“Hey Nette, it’s rude! My man looks hella awesome with that hair!”Nino said, grinning.

“Yeah. Adrien really rocks that hair colour. There’s nothing funny about that.”Alya continued amusedly. Clearly confused.

“No….hahahahhahaha, true it was because….hahahaha…wait…let me breathe…”

Marinette finally managed to calm down her laugh into chuckles and she talked, “Sorry, Adrien. I wasn’t laughing because of your hair. It was because of my friend. You see, I met him yesterday and he got this ridiculous flamingo…pink hair. And somehow I remembered him and his expression that made me laugh.”

Alya clearly looked amused, even Nino had to suppress a grin. Only Adrien wore quite a sympathetic look on his face.

“Him?” asked Alya.

“Wha…? Yes, Him. It’s a guy. With flamingo pink hair. And somehow a kicked puppy expression”Marinette said, grinning.  _A kicked kitten would be perfect actually. But that would be too much of a giveaway_ , Marinette thought.

“Must be some horrid experience for him”Nino flashed his wide smile, amused.

“I offer my deepest sympathy for him”Adrien murmured.

“Aw come on, Sunshine boy, you look like Marinette just dug a grave for you. Cheer up a little. At least you’re not the one having flamingo pink hair on you” Alya cooed.

Adrien shrugged. In fact, he DID have flamingo pink hair yesterday. It was spring after all and _Gabriel_ had strived for those colourful photoshoots. His father at first had to re-examine the photoshoot concept from the photographer, having it classified as ‘not _Gabriel_ aesthetic’ at first. But then after the third re-examining, Gabriel Agreste finally agreed. At first, Adrien was ecstatic with the offer. It was not an everyday thing for him to try a new hair colour and everything else. The first photoshoot was taken on Sunday and he was pretty much delighted with his hair colour that day. Bright blue-bell. Just like his Lady’s eyes. He even swore that he looked forward to the next photo shoot. Only to regret it later. The next photo shoot was yesterday and somehow the staffs had the brilliant idea to dye his hair flamingo pink. Sure it complements the salmon hue on sunset yesterday. Sure it complements the red roses he used as property yesterday. And to think he had to meet his Lady with that hair colour, having no chance to wash it off before his patrol yesterday, made it worse. Oh no no no, sure, he held no antipathy towards pink colours and it’s family. He was even sure that his complexion compliment the colour well and he had some soft pink sweatshirts inside his dresser. But, God, flamingo pink! Adrien groaned internally in annoyance. Soft pink, baby pink, dusty pink, carnation pink, or even lavender-pink or maybe taffy pink were all nice and good and he would not mind to wear nor use them from time to time. But he could not say the same for flamingo pink or other bright pink colours. It felt….too much. Too…PINK.

“Dude? Dude!”

Adrien blinked and saw Nino waved his hand in front of his face. The DJ showed clear concern on his face while Alya and Marinette curled their lips into somewhat amused expressions.

“Yea? Sorry, got lost in thoughts.”Adrien said.

“Nah, Nette just asked if we’d like to have lunch at her bakery,” said Nino.

In an instance, Adrien’s face lit up and he beamed, “That will be fantastic! Count me in!”


	2. Chapter 2

Tom and Sabine had to look Adrien twice before they were convinced that he was indeed the Adrien Agreste they knew when the four teenagers walked to their bakery that afternoon.

“Rebellious phase?”Tom asked curiously.

“No…just…photoshoot…”Adrien mumbled, still politely.

“Well, it does seem a little bit different than your father’s usual aesthetic, dear”Sabine gave her input thoughtfully.

Adrien put several cream puffs to his tray, dutifully ignoring Nino and Alya arguing about taking a chocolate pie or not, and answered, “Truthfully, the concept isn’t my father’s original. He did reject the concept several times before coming to terms with it”

“It’s a good thing he finally accepted then, Adrien. You look good in that hair-I mean, the new aesthetic, yep, the new aesthetic is good for _Gabriel_ ” Marinette said.

Adrien beamed, “Right? I mean, I like _Gabriel’s_ usual aesthetic. All formal, all classic, all elegant, really. But you know, I want to try dyeing my hair too for once and I know that Father won’t let me do so if I ask his permission for that. But now, the opportunity has finally come!”

Sabine put Adrien’s cream puffs into the paper bag and counted on the cash register, smiling knowingly on the scene unfold in front of her. She held back her chuckles when Marinette almost tripped when trying to put her own tray to the cashier table because she was too busy swooning on Adrien’s words.

“Oh for God’s sake! Nino! How many times do I need to say to you? We don’t need both Pithivier and Flan pâtissier! Choose one!”Alya roared as she tried to held Nino back from marching to the cashier with his tray.

“But I want both and I’m sure I can eat both! I’m not even protesting at your own doing! Choosing kouign amann and paris-brest when you aren’t sure you can finish both”Nino retorted defensively.

Adrien, Marinette, and Sabine looked at the arguing couple and shrugged to each other. It wasn’t a rare occasion. Every time four of them came to Tom and Sabine Boulangerie, they always had the same scenario over and over again. Alya would protest for Nino’s excessive choice of pastries, saying that it’s too much, while Nino would protest Alya’s protest over him, saying she does the same anyways.

So, with pastry bag in hand, Adrien looked at Marinette, “It’ll take some time before they finish their argument, _as always it seems_ ”

Marinette was far too busy looking at Nino and Alya so she didn’t pay attention to what she said, making her say “Yes but it means I got more time with you”smoothly before she could stop it.

The moment she realized what she said was because of the sudden silence of Adrien and her mother’s snort behind her. She looked at Adrien and found the blonde boy looked gobsmacked.

“W-wow, that was….smooth, Marinette,”Adrien said.

Marinette’s face turned beet red and she gaped for a moment, “Oh my God. What did I say? Forget that. I didn’t think. My mouth just ran on autopilot!”

Adrien rubbed his neck for a while before he grinned and leaned closer, “Are you trying to say that your autopilot mode is a natural flirt, Marinette?”

This time, Marinette felt as if steam poured from both her ears and she abruptly shoved Adrien backwards on his shoulders, “S-Shut your pr-pretty mouth….I-I mean..sh-shut up Adrien!”

Adrien laughed wholeheartedly, clutched his stomach, “You know, you’re a pretty suave one, Mari. I think you’d make Chat Noir a run for his money”

Marinette rolled her eyes, “Nope. Chat is just one silly kitty”

When Adrien was about to reply that comment, clearly enjoyed the whole conversation, Sabine laughed good-naturedly as she put Nino’s pastry bag on the counter,

“Now, now, children. Let’s not get worked up during lunch break.”

“She/He started it!!”Adrien and Marinette retorted at the same time, pointing each other accusingly, which only granted them a laugh from Sabine and snickers from both Nino and Alya.

After four of them had brought their respective pastry bags, they walked to the park near Marinette’s house and settled themselves on the vacant bench. Marinette slipped a little bit of pastry for Tikki secretively while she munched her own pâte à choux. Adrien ate his eclairs silently while Alya continued fussing over Nino’s pastries.

“Adrien, you said your hair colour had to change for a photo shoot right? Is it for _Gabriel_ ’s new line?”Marinette suddenly grew the urge to ask.

Carefully swallowed his precious eclairs, Adrien smiled, “Yeah. For some reason, I’m not surprised that you know already about Father’s new line, Mari”

Giggling a little bit shyly, Marinette flailed her hand, “Oh it’s nothing! Everyone basically talks about it! Who wouldn’t? This is basically a huge leap from _Gabriel_. I mean, _Gabriel_ ’s usual haute couture style is all good, I adore those too. But THIS! It’s like Pineda Covalín’s, buuuuuttt maybe a little bit more subdued? Elegant as always. Oh-oh! Maybe not Covalín’s but rather Jesús de la Garza style. With a quite avant-garde cutting for _Gabriel,_ maybe like Nicola Formichetti’s styling! Oh, no no, that’s TOO much! Maybe like….like Chisato Tsumori’s! It’s spring line after all and all those quirky colourful themes are just making them exciting!”

Adrien had to blink several times during Marinette’s rambling out her comment about his father’s new line. He could not help but quite taken aback by how familiar Marinette chanted the names of the designers. Those were not French designers, mind you, and he doubted that anyone who was not genuinely interested in fashion to know about those designers, yet about their styles. He gained a quick recovery from his awestruckness, aware of how Nino and Alya had turned their focus on them.

“Yes, I might not as immersed as you are in fashion but I do know that those designs that I’m currently model are wicked. Like….totally! It’s not every day that I can wear a patchwork skirt right?”Adrien beamed.

Nino choked on his Pithivier upon hearing that, “Dude? A skirt? seriously?”

Adrien shrugged, “Yes, why not? I mean, not cute skirts like what Rose wears. No, uh uh. It’s a handmade patchwork skirt, like…the one you usually see in a quilt? Those patterns? Yes, that one.”

“Dude, I know you’re this kind of fashion minx, but the skirt is….a little bit too much don’t you think? Don’t say that you have to wear heels too” Nino frowned to his pastry

“Ugh, Lahiffe, he is a model! He’d look good in anything, even a nightgown!”Alya swatted Nino’s arm.

Adrien grinned, “Thanks Alya, but no thanks for the nightgown. I won’t pull the look even if I want to” he winked, “And no, it’s not too much. The skirt is more like a kilt if I may say so and the whole set was so avant-garde that it didn’t matter whether I wore skirt or not, and only to answer your suspicions, Nino, yes I wore heels with that and it feels utterly amazing, the whole getups even if I had to stay up late until three in the morning in order to take the photoshoot of the glimmering Parisian sky for that.”

“I want to see the whole get-ups!”Marinette squealed.

Hearing that, Adrien frowned, “Uh… I sort of…don't have it? It was a quite late photoshoot and despite the whole excitement, I was wept out.”

“And what was your hair colour for that photoshoot?”Alya asked curiously.

“Bright bluebell!” he beamed. “Oh-oh! Wait, maybe I can ask Father so that you all can attend to my next photo shoot!”

Nino grinned, “Nah, you sure? I’d probably look out of place, dude since I don’t understand all these fashion thingies but I won’t miss an opportunity to see my bro wearing a skirt”

“I’m sure. Let me just ask Nathalie for that. How about you Alya? Mari?”

Alya looked at Marinette who shone brighter than the street lamp at night and smiled, “Well, it seems like my girl is ecstatic for your offer, Mr Model”

“Super!”Adrien smiled widely and he turned his megawatt smile to Nino, “Just for your info Nino, I’m not wearing a skirt for the next photo shoot.”

Nino huffed, “Spoilspo….”

“I’m wearing a dress!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe you already notice the generous amount of designer names I put there. So, FYI, I don't quite know what the Gabriel brand style is, so I just assume that maybe they went for haute couture (it's like Coco Chanel's). For the designer themselves, Pineda Covalin and Jesús de la Garsa are Mexican designers who usually use a generous amount of colours and patterns for their works, while Nicola Formicetti is...not really a designer. He is an Italian-Japanese fashion director, well-known for his collaboration with Lady Gaga and Chisato Tsumori is a Japanese designer, whose designs are quite avant garde but not too much (fitting for Gabriel's I think).
> 
> Lots of the fanfiction here mention that Adrien hates fashion. But oh la la! See how he strutted confidently in Style Queen? He is basically a fashionista! A true model at heart!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yess finally a new chapter! Finally long enough for me to upload it. The college had been very tiring for me as my final project was very rushed. But thank God finally it's over! I've graduated already! Woohoo!! Anyway, hope you enjoy this!

Marinette flipped her sketchbook excitedly while she sat on her lounge chair in her balcony that night. Shrugging several times on her newly sketched designs which clearly had not yet met her likings.

“Tikki, I feel so excited! Maybe I’m biased since Gabriel Agreste is my idol designer, but I really am looking forward to this collection of _Gabriel_ ”

Tikki nibbled her cookies, zooming in front of Marinette, “Excitement always a good thing, Marinette, if you know to not overdo it”

“I feel like….I really want to design something avant-garde. Like, did you hear how Adrien practically gushed about that skirt this afternoon? I really really want to see that skirt. It’s not every day that _Gabriel_ designs something like that and to be honest, I never design something avant-garde either. I want to, and I haven’t yet any concept of how I want them to look! What do you think Ti…”

Marinette’s words diminished when Tikki zoomed beneath her trap door. She cocked her head curiously at her kwami’s strange behaviour before she heard it. A tell-tale soft cat-like strut that already really familiar to her as Ladybug. His blonde hair glowed like a halo around his head (Marinette internally grinned. Remembered his flamingo pink hair).

“Good evening, Purrinces~”

Shrugging, Marinette turned her head and found her fighting partner (not that he knew it anyway), balancing himself on top of her balcony railing.

“What are you doing here, Chat?”

“Just passing by the neighbourhood and decided to pay you a little visit. Is it not a good time?”

Marinette shook her head, “No…not like that. I mean, it’s not everyday a lil’ old regular civilian would be visited by the debonair Chat Noir right? What’s your deal, kitty?”

Chat grinned at her affectionate pet name for him and jumped down from the railing to her balcony,

“No. Nothing. It’s just a quiet night and my patrol is coming to an end, yet I don’t quite feel like I want to go home yet. Too much excitement inside me right now. Then I saw you on your balcony. Thought I want to _chat_ a little”

Marinette rolled her eyes at the clearly intentional pun, walked to her lounge chair and gestured Chat to sit next to her while mumbling to herself “Yeah, you’re practically a bundle of energy”.

Chat crossed his legs and hummed to himself. It was all true, what he said to Marinette. It was a clear, quiet night, his patrol ended smoothly, and he still felt too excited to just go home. He saw Marinette when he passed by and decided to drop in.

“I’ll go get a drink for both of us. Chocolate or tea, Chat?”Marinette asked.

Taken aback by the sudden hospitality, Chat shook his head, “You don’t need to get me anything, Princess. I’m fine by my own”

“I know that. But I want a drink and I don’t want to see you drooling on mine. So? Chocolate or tea?”

Chat smiled quietly at her words and murmured, “Chocolate” as he kept his gaze fixed on Marinette’s back when she went down to her room.

Stretching out on Marinette’s lounge chair, Chat gazed on the starry night of Paris. Then he shifted his gaze and caught Marinette’s sketchbook on his view. Said sketchbook was opened, giving a full view of her, obviously recently sketched, designs. Chat’s eyebrows shot up curiously. Those designs, though a little bit awkward (maybe because Marinette had never designed something like those before), were really good.

“What’re you looking at, Chat?”

Chat jumped lightly at Marinette’s voice. He turned and saw the pig-tailed girl standing beside him with a tray on her hands filled with two steaming mugs and a plate of pastries. He grinned sheepishly,

“ _Paw_ -don me, _purrincess_. This cat didn’t mean to be rude but your sketchbook is open in front of me and he couldn’t resist to not take a glance. Afterall those designs sure are ap- _paw_ -ling”

Marinette rolled her eyes on his puns and set the tray on the balcony floor before she invited Chat to sit in front of her. When said cat had sat comfortably, she reached for her sketchbook.

“I don’t think these designs are that appealing though, Chat. I mean, I tried to make these as good as I could but I’ve never tried to design avant-garde clothes at all. You do know they look bizarre. Admit it” she said.

Chat reached for one eclair and tsk-ed Marinette with his clawed finger, “I won’t go to such length as to call them bizarre, Marinette. True, they are a little bit of odd. Imbalanced, shall I say. But not bizarre. But why the sudden shift in design?”

Marinette furrowed her brows in curiosity, “How do you know this is recent?”

Chat mentally cursed himself. _Great, Agreste. Remind your sorry butt of a self that currently you’re not Adrien, her classmate_. _Now, how would you wiggle yourself out of this?_ He bit his eclair and munched a little bit slowly as his mind gears clicked rapidly. As he finished his eclair, he looked at Marinette and found her looking at her expectant of his answer.

“Well, I can’t truly say how, Princess. Unless you want me to take off my mask. But I do know some friends that happened to also be your friends and they’re mentioning you love Gabriel Agreste’s designs and tend to learn from his works for your creations. Besides I’m not far from the beauty and fashion side of the world” he carefully said. Well? Not a total lie right?

Marinette pondered his answer for a few moments. She knew that her adoration for Gabriel Agreste’s works was not a secret and she also had friends who were literally public figures like Adrien, Alya (being the Ladyblogger counted as a public figure right?), and…she did not know whether Nadja Chamack counted as her friend or not (but maybe yes?), so it was understandable that Chat might get a glimpse of said friends talking about her if he, as he admitted, also immersed in the beauty and fashion world.

“Hmm, I won’t make you reveal your face to me, so I shall take your answer at face value then, Chat. And you’re correct. This is a recent thing. Although I won’t call it as a shift. Despite the fact that I do like Gabriel Agreste’s works, I’m fully realized that while I do love the craftsmanship in haute couture, I like things to be more Prêt-à-Porter, and I think it’s not that weird since houses like Chanel and Dior often present Prêt-à-Porter line as well. Anyway, maybe you don’t know but _Gabriel_ is launching avant-garde designs for this spring runway. My friend, Adrien Agreste, yes that Gabriel Agreste’s son, is the model and he described to us, I mean, to me and two of my other friends about the design. Although I haven’t yet to see the design, I can imagine that the clothes he described are fantastic. I mean, he told us that he wore a patchwork skirt, Chat! I think _Gabriel_ is aiming for the extraordinary of avant-garde and mixing it with the mischievousness of androgynous fashion. I’m so excited that I can’t help myself to not sketch some!”

Chat blinked. One time. Two times. Then he grinned wide. Marinette seemed to realize that she basically had rambled in front of him. Because she clamped her mouth shut and a soft blush covered her cheeks. God, she just ran her mouth before she could stop it. But talking to Chat had always been easy. Despite that this was only his third meeting with her real self (the first one was the Evillustrator and the second was before Glaciator), she felt none of the difference. Talking to him was easy, just like when she was Ladybug.

Chat smiled and he sipped his hot chocolate before saying,

“In fact, I do know about the avant-garde concept of _Gabriel_ ’s Spring Runway.”

“You do?”Marinette asked. Her eyes twinkled in excitement.

“I told you that I’m also in the beauty and fashion side of the world, right? And for your information, I’m as excited as you are about that news. I mean, no hard feelings for _Gabriel_ ’s original style, really. But I think it’s time for a change for them right? I’m eager for the runway as well” he said.

“Yes, me too. But I’m more eager for the photoshoot!”

“Photoshoot?”Chat parroted.

“Yep. Adrien is trying to get us a pass to attend his next photo shoot and he did mention that he will wear a dress. Can you imagine Chat?”

Chat snickered, “Imagine what? The model Agreste in a dress, princess?”

Marinette laughed, “Not that, silly! Imagine the dress. Adrien mentioned that the designs are colourful. What do you think the dress would be like? Maybe a wrap dress? Or draped one? Or maybe a sheath dress? With a few tweaks and alternation here and there, I think those three particular dress styles would be good for an avant-garde style.”

Chat’s lips twitched. Of course, he already knew what dress he would wear for his next photoshoot since his on-set stylist showed him when he pleaded excitedly. But he would not spoil the fun for Marinette by giving hints, although that coming from Chat’s mouth, said hints would only be counted as a coincidence.

“I don’t think a sheath dress could be that avant-garde, Mari. The necessity to make the cutting sleek in order to pull out that body figure of the wearer made said dress hard to tweak without losing its base form” Chat said.

Marinette taped her fingers thoughtfully on her chin, “That is correct. But I don’t even know what kind of avant-garde _Gabriel_ aimed for. The only thing I know is that the designs will be colourful”

Chat grinned, “Good thing your friend Adrien asking a pass for you then”

At that, Marinette beamed and Chat silently swore that he would try with all his might so his father would grant his three friends their passes.

***

Adrien smiled brightly as he walked out from his limo to the school. He got them! Finally, after some attempts of asking Nathalie and also asking his father (in where he might or might not be charged as guilty to mention Marinette’s name as ‘ _my super talented friend who won the bowler hat contest_ ’ to finally win the argument), he got three passes for his best friends.

“You know kid, keep smiling like that and you’ll look more of an idiot than you usually do” Plagg grumbled from behind Adrien’s overshirt.

Adrien shrugged, “Keep it low, Plagg. We’re at school and I’m not an idiot”

“Yeah yeah whatever”

Still smiling brightly, he could not help but imagine how fun the shoot would be with his friends and because of said daydream, he almost collided with Juleka a moment before he walked inside the class. He grabbed Juleka’s arm to steady her and just about to say his apology when Juleka murmured,

“Luka asked me to relay his message to you Adrien”

Adrien’s eyebrows shot up in curiosity, “What did he say?”

“He asked whether you want to go to Jagged Stone’s concert Sunday, next week. He also said to mention this to Marinette.”Juleka said.

Adrien’s eyes bulged. THERE WOULD BE A JAGGED STONE CONCERT? Truthfully, since all the rush of _Gabriel_ Spring Line came, Adrien had forgotten to check the schedule for Jagged’s upcoming events. _Marinette would be ecstatic to hear this! It has been some time since our last meet-ups with Luka_.

“Thanks, Juleka. I’ll make sure Marinette knows about this and I’ll give my reply to Luka” Adrien smiled.

Juleka returned the smile and they walked to class. Adrien swiftly took his usual seat beside Nino and grinned to his best bro.

“What’s up, dude? You look like the cat that caught the canary” Nino asked, confused about his brightly beaming friend.

“Guess who got the passes for you all to his next photoshoot?”

Upon hearing Adrien’s words, Marinette squealed behind him, only to make his grin wider.

“Really!? You got them!??!”Marinette squealed again.

Adrien turned his head and found Marinette bending on top her desk, seemingly ready to shake his shoulder but refrained to do so. Alya held back a laugh for her best friend's antics.

“Yes, I got them. Here are your passes” Adrien rummaged his schoolbag and pulled out three nametags from it.

The three tags were the clip on type, black in colour with silver rims and with the words ‘VIP Guest’ typed boldly on top of them. Adrien still wore his Cheshire grin as he gave each pass to his friends. Marinette held her nametag like it was her family heirloom.

“My next photoshoot will be at Pont Alexandre III in the evening, this Saturday. Could you all make it?” he asked.

“Absolutely!”Marinette did not even pause to answer that particular question.

Alya nodded firmly at Adrien, confirming her availability at said time of the photoshoot in the near future. Nino patted his bro at the shoulder and smiled widely,

“I would not miss it, dude. Cross my heart”

“Thanks. I’ll be delighted!”

As Adrien smile got brighter, Marinette could not help but smile too. The giddy feeling inside her heart kept bubbling up even until the lunch break bell rang. She felt as if she floated when she tidied up her things into her backpack. A VIP pass to _Gabriel_ photoshoot! Such a delightful chance! Marinette did not even comprehend what she said to Alya when she said to her that she would leave first as her mother wanted the brunette to be at home for lunch.

Marinette just walked out from the class when she saw Adrien at in front of the school, seemingly waiting for something….or someone? And it clearly was not his chauffeur. Since said chauffeur already parked not far from the school. Marinette hummed thoughtfully. Maybe he just waited for some notification from Nathalie or something? She was still too in cloud nine and she walked pass Adrien, waving absentmindedly, still with that goofy smile on her face, when Adrien held her back by her shoulder.

“Marinette…! Wait!” he said.

And just with that, Marinette’s balloon of giddiness pop. She blinked as she got back to real life after going to imaginary cloud nine earlier.

“Yes Adrien?” she asked.

He rubbed his back of neck nervously, “Um…sorry I didn’t mean to startle you or anything. It’s just…I’m waiting for you. I need to tell you a few things”

A few years ago, if Adrien Agreste said those lines, Marinette’s imagination would run wild and her fantasies of Adrien confessing to her, then them dating, with marriage in the future, three kids, and a hamster would all coming to her. But now, after Marinette and him having a better friendship (thanks to Luka and Jagged Stone apparently), she could smile calmly although her stomach still bore butterflies.

“What is it?”Marinette smiled.

Adrien smiled nervously for a second, “Uh, so actually about the photoshoot. I remember that you are very excited about the whole avant-garde designs of _Gabriel_ this season and you clearly know your things about fashion, not to mention you’re brilliant too. I mean, you won that bowler hat contest my father held….”

Marinette giggled, “Adrien, you’re rambling”

The boy stopped immediately and blinked a few times before smiled sheepishly, “Right…sorry. So the thing is, I talked to Father about it. I might or might not mention you as the brilliant friend of mine that designed the bowler hat and he agreed”

Marinette’s brows twitched in confusion, “Sorry? Agreed on what?”

“Agreed that he could provide one of the designers to tutor you in my photoshoots…or it doesn’t have to be mine actually since I’m not doing all photoshoots.”Adrien smiled brightly.

Marinette stilled at her place. Her mind went blank. Because….what? Did she hear right? Did Adrien just say that Gabriel Agreste, THAT Gabriel Agreste agree to make one of his designer to tutor her?

Adrien smile faltered when he saw Marinette just stared at him blankly. Did she not like it? Did she think that he just being nosy? Or….

“Adrien Agreste, you are a beautiful extraordinaire amazing thing”Marinette breathed.

Adrien blinked owlishly, “Uh….thanks…?”

At that time, Marinette finally fully registered what she just said and her face turned scarlet in an instant.

“Uh…I mean….that’s such an extraordinary and amazing chance! Oh my God! I can’t believe it!”Marinette hastily tried to correct her statement.

Adrien laughed and patted Marinette’s shoulder, “It’s okay really. Afterall, people do want a picture of….these” he gestured to all of him and winked saucily to her. Clearly meant it to be a joke.

However, Marinette’s face flushed in pink. She used to decorate her walls with his posters after all (though said posters had come down recently) and she had to admit, goofy Adrien or dreamy Adrien, it did not change the fact that he was breathtakingly good-looking.

“Um… Marinette? You’re blushing” Adrien said.

Marinette blinked and flailed her hand wondrously, “W-well? Am I? No…it’s just…. it’s…because you’re hot…Dammit, I mean, it’s hot here, God I’m just going to shut up now”

Adrien’s laugh roared again and he patted Marinette’s shoulder once more before he waved as he walked to his car, leaving Marinette on her own standing in front of the school. As Adrien’s car zoomed away, she blinked and gaped,

“Holy shit! I’ll be tutored by _Gabriel_ ’s designer!”


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette was high in energy because of Adrien’s news for her. So, when Chat Noir appeared on her balcony that night, she already prepared two mugs of hot chocolate and a plate full of pastries. Chat landed on her balcony soundlessly and smiled widely,

“Oh-ho, expecting me are you, _purrincess_?”

Marinette’s reaction was not what he expected as she smiled brighter than the park’s lamppost, “YES! In fact, I do! God, I’m so excited, I’m literally vibrating right now and I’m already planning to knock myself out with sleeping pills if you didn’t come. But now you’re here, so I have someone to rant on!”

Chat blinked several times, his cat ears twitched a few times trying to catch all of Marinette’s words, but in the end, he could not so he just asked dumbly, “ _Paw-_ don?”

Marinette took a deep breath and half shouted excitedly, “I’m going to be tutored by _Gabriel_ ’s designer!!”

 _Now, that’s music to my ears_. Chat grinned widely, “Well, that’s surely a- _meow_ -zing, _purrincess_. Do you mind giving details to this cat?”

Marinette shoved a mug of chocolate to Chat before she answered, “It…I think…how should I put this? Well, Adrien practically just told me that Gabriel Agreste agreed to assign one of his designers to tutor me. He might or might not mention me as the winner of that bowler hat contest. I mean, really, I’m super grateful and excited. But…i’m more to surprised!”

“Surprised?”

“Well, obviously. First, because of the sudden golden opportunity. Second, I’m very surprised that Gabriel Agreste would remember me. I mean, the contest was almost three years ago, Chat! How flattering that he actually remembers!”

Chat cringed that he remembered how his father literally needed a whole five minutes to scroll on his tab to search ‘Marinette Dupain-Cheng’ on the data. But well, once his father saw the name and the photo, also the hat, he…did remember her.

“ _Purrincess_ , I’m sure that Gabriel Agreste has your data somewhere inside his archives. I know some people do that”Chat said.

“That even more amazing!”Marinette said.

Chat tilted his head to one said. Not really sure what Marinette means as ‘amazing’, but maybe she was just excited…er…euphoric, to be exact.

“So, when will you meet this tutor of yours? Who’s she anyway?”Chat asked. He thoughtfully sipped his hot chocolate, internally felt ashamed of his question. Of course he knew when Marinette will meet the tutor and of course, he knew that Marinette hasn’t know who the tutor will be. But it served as a stroke of ego to him, seeing Marinette all excited because of him (well…not directly ‘him’. But because of his doing, nevertheless).

“I’ll meet my tutor at Adrien’s next photo shoot. This Saturday at Pont Alexandre III and…no, I don’t know who will be my tutor. I don’t even know whether it’ll be a she or a he”Marinette said.

Chat reached for an eclair and munched it, “Will you bring your sketchbook though? I mean, show your tutor something before you started to be tutored?”

Marinette pondered for a minute, “No. I don’t think so. It’ll be too weird for me no? I’ll listen to my tutor on my first day. Blank like a sheet of paper. Then maybe I’ll try to design someth…..”

Chat blinked when Marinette’s words died in the middle of the sentence. Then he saw her bright blue eyes shifted to him and gleamed mischievously. Uh oh, no no. He didn’t know what happen but he wasn’t fond of that look.

“Which reminds me…”

“No, _purrincess_. I’m not going to be your assistant designer or something. This cat got no talent in that section”

Marinette laughed when Chat paled out. She swatted his arm gently, “No, Chat. I’m just thinking that maybe I can design something for you”

There was a fat silence there and Chat broke it by parroting, “For me?” dumbly.

“Yes for you, Chat. I mean, why not? Also I can’t just design something for someone that I never talk about this avant-garde hype before.”

“Uh…how about that Agreste kid you’re friends with?”Chat asked. “Not that I’m against the idea or anything. But maybe you’d prefer to make something for your friends than me”

Marinette’s brow squinted, “You are my friend, aren’t you? And I can’t possibly make Adrien wears my trial avant-garde design. My design will look dumb anyway compared to _Gabriel_ ’s he modelled for”

Chat hid his snickers. _Wow, that’s a lot of misunderstanding there purrincess_ , “Well, I’m sure that your designs won’t look ‘dumb’ unless Adrien Agreste makes it look dumb. But, okay then. You can design anything you want for me. This cat is on your service”

“Adrien doesn’t look dumb. If anything, you look dumber than him”Marinette muttered defensively.

and Chat snorted into his hot chocolate, gained him a look from Marinette.

***

Saturday rolled slowly. Marinette knew that Adrien had explicitly told them that his photo shoot would be in the evening. But she could not help her jitters of excitement which certainly did not help much when she had to man the cashier counter on the bakery that day. So, when the clock struck four in the afternoon, Marinette bolted to her room to take a shower after giving a very hasty explanation to her mother.

“Slow down, Marinette. The photoshoot is still one hour from now”Tikki said as she looked at her wielder who broke down her entire wardrobe in the midst of searching some outfit.

“Yes, Tikki. But Pont Alexandre III is so far from here! It’ll take me almost half an hour by metro”Marinette said.

“Then go by cab,”Tikki said.

Marinette frowned, “Not a good idea. It’s so far away that the fare will eat up my allowance”

“Why not call Alya and ask her to go with you?”Tikki said.

“That…might work, actually”

Marinette reached her phone and dialled Alya’s number, putting it on loudspeaker so that she could freely wreck down her wardrobe still.

“ _Hi, Alya here. Currently, I’m not with my phone, which is…very rare. But please do leave a message so I can get back at you when I’m at it. A plus!_ ”

The dark-haired girl frowned at Alya’s voicemail. Marinette put on black tights, black ruffle skirt which stops mid thigh, and khaki halter top. She threw on an olive cardigan for modesty and fumbling with her purse. The clock on her room showed fifteen to five. Practically thirty minutes before the photo shoot and Marinette still at her home.

“Oh God, Tikki what should I do?? I can’t just leap and land on Pont Alexand….wait a second…”

“Oh no, Marinette, you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking of…”Tikki said as she looked at her wielder.

Marinette grinned widely, “No, Tikki. I’m thinking exactly what you think I’m thinking. Tikki… Spots on!!”

With a flash of pink, Ladybug stood in Marinette’s place within seconds. Ladybug took up her pink purse and climbed up to her balcony with ease. With a flick of her wrist, she swung her yoyo and leapt.

Fifteen minutes later, Ladybug landed behind the granite pillar which held up a cherub and a nymph statue. A moment after that, Marinette walked from behind said pillar after Tikki safely munched her cookie inside the purse, tried to tidy up her windswept bangs. Walking on the bridge, Marinette could see the crowds that gathered there. A _Gabriel_ van parked nicely and fans were gathering around it. As she got closer, Marinette could see Gorilla standing in front of the restriction line, being a bodyguard that he really was, and she could see Alya and Nino were already there. She did not see Adrien anywhere though, so she assumed that he must’ve been changing his clothes.

The blue-eyed girl showed her VIP pass to Gorilla who just grunted in affirmative before letting her in and as soon as she walked, Alya turned her head on time,

“Marinette! Glad you finally come, gurl!”she beamed.

Marinette huffed, “I tried to call you earlier but it went to voicemail. Guess you got your phone off for a stroll with your _beau_ eh?”

Alya, fortunately, had the audacity to look ashamed, “Sorry, Marinette. But I was driving my mom’s car and I can’t possibly answer a call”

Marinette playfully flicked her hair, “Well, I guess, since it’s that way, I think Lahiffe should pay for it instead?” As she rested her hand on Nino’s shoulder.

The DJ laughed, “Spare my life, Lady Mari. Help me, babe!”

The three of them laughed and only stopping when someone cleared throat behind them. Marinette turned her head and found Nathalie standing behind her.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, I presume?”Nathalie asked.

“Ah, yes. That’s me.”Marinette answered.

“As per Monsieur Agreste told me, you will be tutored by Mlle Voclain. Follow me” in her usual matter-of-factly tone, Nathalie explained.

Marinette beamed, however leaving Nino and Alya slackjawed. She glanced to her friends and saw Alya’s brown eyes bulged out in a manner of ‘we’ll so be talking about this later’. After a grin, Marinette followed Nathalie who led her to the van, where outside of it, currently there were several people buzzing here and there. As they approached it, Nathalie seemed to zoom in to a platinum blonde-haired woman (that platinum blonde could not be natural) who was scanning through a tablet thoroughly.

“Mlle Voclain?”Nathalie greeted.

The woman looked up and smiled, “Ah, why of course, Nathalie. What brings you here?”

Nathalie stepped aside for a little bit, making Marinette visible to the designer, “This is Mlle Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who M Agreste had asked you to tutor. She is an aspiring learner to be a designer and had won several contests, including the bowler hat one that M Agreste held”

Mlle Voclain’s grey eyes twinkled in excitement and she smiled, “Marvelous. Jean Voclain, Mlle Dupain-Cheng. How do you do?” As she offered her hand.

Marinette accepted the handshake, trembling a little bit from both nerve and excitement, “Marinette is okay, Mlle Voclain. How do you do”

Nathalie eyed the exchange with certain self-satisfaction before she said, “I’ll leave her to your care, Mlle Voclain” and walked away.

Jean Voclain stared at Nathalie’s retreating back and chuckled, “She is always so stern, that Nathalie.”

When she heard no response from Marinette, she turned her head to the ravenette and saw Marinette simply looked nervous. Jean patted Marinette’s shoulder assuringly,

“Relax, Marinette. There’s nothing to be nervous for. We are all learning here.”

“But…I mean…this is _Gabriel_ and I’ve admired Gabriel Agreste’s works for…I don’t know how long and being here in _Gabriel_ ’s photoshoot, moreover being tutored, it’s like….like….”

“Overwhelming?”Jean said helpfully.

Marinette nodded. Jean smiled, her white teeth glimmered in the afternoon light. At that time, the van’s door opened, making both Marinette and Jean turned their heads. Adrien Agreste climbed down from the van, wearing a dark blue velvet robe which hid whatever outfit he wore beneath. But the thing that sucked Marinette’s attention was his hair. His hair, previously dyed in silver balayage and originally angelic blonde, had been dyed into heather colour with streaks of amethyst. His smile bloomed when he saw Marinette and he jumped right onto her, wrapping her with an Agreste brand bear hug.

“Marinette! You came!!”

Feeling heat creeping up her cheeks, Marinette squeezed Adrien once before she pushed him gently, “So are Alya and Nino, you dork.”

Like a little kitten, he seems to perk up even more and glanced around him excitedly, “Really? Where are they?”

Marinette looked past Adrien’s shoulder and saw Alya and Nino were chatting with the photographer eagerly, “With your photographer, Adrien.”

Adrien seemed ready to leapt out and greet his friends if not for Jean who held his shoulder firmly, “As much as I understand your excitement to see your friends, I might need to remind you to go have your makeup, Adrien”

Adrien’s green eyes looked at Jean’s grinning face and shrugged, “Sure, Jean. But I can meet with them after the photoshoot right?”

“I can’t guarantee that Nathalie will allow you to hang out with such short notice, Adrien.” when she saw Adrien’s kitten eyes, the platinum-haired woman continued as she grinned wider, “ _But_ , I can ask you, the gentleman, to _escort_ my disciple home, right? Bring her a little walk Adrien and ask her about her progress today later”

Catching Jean’s intention, Adrien nodded eagerly, “You’re the best, Jean” before he dashed to his makeup artist.

“He is such a little boy. Even though he is already seventeen”Jean chuckled.

“Yeah. He reminds me of someone else I know, actually”Marinette continued.

Jean laughed, “Well, enough about Adrien, Marinette. Now tell me, what do you want to learn?”

“Actually, I know a little bit from Adrien that he wears a dress for this photoshoot and I’m really intrigued by it.”

“Intrigued?”

“Well, I sort of get the hunch that maybe _Gabriel_ ’s theme isn’t purely avant-garde but also mixing up androgynous fashion as well. Do you care to elaborate?”

Jean smiled and pointed to Adrien’s direction for Marinette, which the ravenette followed with her gaze. Adrien already shrugged off his robe and currently standing up facing them, while the makeup artist brushed his face and the stylist tweaked his…..well…dress.

Marinette gaped. It was clearly a dress. Or at least, one side of it was a dress. The left side was a one-shoulder periwinkle drape dress which had the asymmetrical cutting and stopped right above the knee. The sleeve was loose and flared with silverish blue laces, went down until the elbow. Then on the right side, the shoulder left bare, only being covered by laces from the collar. The sleeve was off-the-shoulder type, and skin-tight, covering the back of the hand and wrapped around the middle finger with a silver ring.This right side was not a dress. It was a jumpsuit look-alike with straight-cut pants going down until it reached the ankles. On the waist, was a leather corset in similar color with the dress, went down only on the left side (the dress-side) was a silver harness, being attached to each other with silver studs and chains. The shoes were dark purple combat boots which strangely fit the whole ensemble.

“That is the example”Jean said.

Marinette needed a few more seconds to pick up her jaw from the ground. The ensemble looked elegant, suave, beautiful, and manly at the same time. She blinked hard as she saw the makeup artist swiped concord-colored lipstick on Adrien’s lips after going for the nude look on the eyes. Then as the final touch, the makeup artist ‘outlined’ Adrien’s eyebrows, inner eyes, nose, lips, jaws, cheekbones, neck, and collarbone with an iris color and shimmered the outline with a highlighter, making it pop out.

“Marinette…?”Jean called.

Marinette blinked again and turned her head to her tutor, “Ah, I-I’m sorry, Mlle. Voclain. It’s just….so…good”

Jean chuckled, “I know. And the answer to your question is, yes. _Gabriel_ is aiming for the mix-up between androgynous and avant-garde. But well of course, without losing the elegance and sleek designs as _Gabriel_ ’s signature of course”

“I can see that.”

“Now, let’s see Adrien’s photoshoot and we’ll discuss”

The next one hour and thirty minutes was the most eye-inspiring time for Marinette (while blatantly forgetting about Alya and Nino’s presence. Alya, who excitedly explaining everything to her viewers on the video streaming and Nino who got scouted to be her cameraman). Jean was definitely a good tutor. She answered Marinette’s every question about the whole arrangements for Adrien’s outfit (mid-way, Marinette found out that Adrien needed to model three outfits that day. Three of them were dresses. Although the last two were not as extravagant as the first one, still, they were absolutely heavenly). Jean even showed Marinette how to balance the avant-garde style with _Gabriel’_ s signature elegant style. So when Victor, the photographer, declared that the photoshoot was finally done, Marinette’s smile could lit up the whole of Paris. She hug the notes that she brought tightly.

“So, Marinette, I’ll contact you when the next time of our tutoring will be”said Jean.

Marinette’s blue eyes widened, “Wait…you’re saying that…there will be more?”

Jean raised her eyebrows, “Why of course, Marinette. You don’t think that I will leave you with half-assed tutoring, do you? Today is just the introduction after all. Anyway, here you go. It’s my contact written there. Do you mind giving me your phone number?”  
Marinette accepted Jean’s name card and told the woman her phone number afterwards. Right when Jean already going to bid her goodbye, Adrien walked out from the van. Already changing into grey jeans, sneakers, and a white t-shirt. Although his hair remained the same.

“Right on time, Adrien. Escort your friends and of course, especially, my cute disciple home, would you? I’ll tell Nathalie”said Jean.

Adrien smiled, “Roger that, Jean.”

Jean winked and left. Marinette, still starstruck, stared at the platinum-haired woman in awe, making Adrien chuckled.

“Jean is awesome, isn’t she?”Adrien said.

“Yes! O-oh, I mean, yeah. She is so talented yet so humble. I mean, not that any of these people are arrogant or anything. But, at first… I was so nervous. I mean, I really adore your father’s works a lot, but he is just so….well…um…”

“…..nerve-wracking?”Adrien said helpfully.

“Yeah, that. So I thought my tutor will be similar. But no. Jean is just so so so inspirational! And she said, there’s a next lesson!!”

Adrien just opened his mouth to give some response when Alya’s voice boomed,

“Agreste, how dare you monopolize my bestfriend?”

Adrien’s eyebrows raised, “Says you who monopolized MY bestfriend”

“Yeah, but he is MY boyfriend”Alya quipped.

“Damn it, I can’t beat that”Adrien muttered.

Nino laughed out loud, “Sorry dude, but admit it that you’re kinda lacking in that area”

“I never say that I don’t anyway.”

Alya gave a thoughtful smile towards Marinette regarding to Adrien’s answer, making the ravenette blushed. Adrien, totally missed the gesture, smiled to his friends,

“I somehow got permission to hang out for a while. Care for a coffee?”

Hearing this tasteful opportunity, Alya quickly pinched Nino to interrupt his oncoming agreement (making her boyfriend gritted his teeth, hiding his pain) and said,

“Sorry, Adrien. But Nino and I got some plans already.”

Adrien pouted a little, “Ah, girlfriend over bestfriend already, Nino?”

“Dude, you gotta help me here. I don’t want to be under her wrath”Nino said.

The blonde just laughed and turned his attention to Marinette while with a hopeful smile asking, “How about you, Marinette?”

“Oh, I’m free for the evening!”Marinette answered brightly, still high from her excitation earlier, blissfully unaware to what she just had agreed on.

“Brilliant! Let’s go then!”Adrien smiled. “After you?”he gestured.

Marinette’s smile faltered a little into a nervous one when she finally realized what happened. Panicking, she glanced to Alya who just silently snickering and making the ‘go on’ gesture. Nino was also acting ignorant of everything, which was plain as day. Despite her radically improving social skill with Adrien, she could not deny that she still had the nervous feelings when it comes to things like these. The ravenette huffed, trying to calm down her nerves and smiled to the blonde model,

“Thanks, Adrien”

With that, they walked from the bridge, heading towards the direction of Petit Palais.

“I’m sorry but we need to walk a little. The coffee place is near here. It’s a diner basically and since it’s already dinner time, let’s grab some food too”Adrien said.

“I’ve got no problem with walking. Uh…not that I’m not grateful. But are you sure? It’s not going to make you be in any trouble?”

“No. Jean basically just gave me a free-pass for hanging out. She’ll handle everything with Nathalie. Besides, Father is in Milan since yesterday. Got everything under control”Adrien said.

Marinette smiled, her nerves evaporated. She knew from several of her outings with Adrien (both with Alya and Nino, or with Luka) that recently the blonde has got more freedom in both his daily and model life. He got permission to hang out fairly easy as long as he did all his extracurricular activities and keeping up his academic study on top. He also got to explore more side of the modelling things, not just staying on the teenage lines of _Gabriel_ anymore. If Marinette recalled, last summer, he modelled for Dolce & Gabbana, followed by modelling for Yves Saint Laurent in the winter.

Suddenly, Adrien snapped his fingers, making Marinette stopped her train of thoughts.

“I just remember. Juleka said that Luka invited us to watch Jagged’s concert next Sunday!”he said.

Marinette’s eyes bulged, “Wha…?? There’ll be Jagged’s concert?? Why didn’t I know about it? I’m so missing out!”

“You tell me about it. So? You in or not? Because I’m totally in”Adrien laughed.

“Are you crazy? Why are you still asking me? Of course, I’m in! Not even an earthquake could make me miss Jagged’s concert!”

Adrien laughed, “Oh really? How about an Akuma attack?”

Marinette frowned, “I’m going to kill Hawkmoth for that. Nothing shall disturb Jagged Stone’s concert”

“Amen,”said Adrien playfully, making Marinette shoved him.

They walked a little bit more before Adrien stopped in front of a diner as he said. It was not big but looked cosy. The clear glass on both front sides gave a detailed view of the parquette floor, cream wallpapers, warm lightings, maroon sofas and ebony tables. Woven neatly with led string lamps, in front of it, was the name; _Clair de Lune_.

“Wow, I never know that it’s such a pretty place”Marinette said.

Adrien blinked a few times before he nervously rubbed his neck, “Uh…actually, I just stumbled upon this on the internet a few days ago and I want to try it. Is this okay?”

“Why is it not okay?”Marinette asked back.

Waving his hand nervously, Adrien answered, “Uh…no. Nothing. Let me get the door for you”

While he was opening and holding the door for Marinette, he huffed. _Calm down Agreste. Marinette won’t think of anything just because you found this place when you tried to search where to take Ladybug on a probably-will-happen-in-the-future-date. Just don’t mention it to her!_ After Marinette had stepped into the diner, Adrien closed the door behind him.

“Where would you like to sit?”he asked.

Marinette learned from previous experiences that when Adrien asked, he asked, and he did not expect ‘up to you’ answer unless Marinette really did not know the answer. So she glanced around and found a quite cosy place near the front clear glass of the diner.

“How about there?” she pointed.

Adrien looked at the place she pointed and nodded in agreement. It was cosy and not quite cramped with people. They walked to the said table and sat in front of one another. When they had sat, an elderly waitress came and gave them the menu, which they diligently read.

“I’ll have Cafe Americano,”Adrien said.

“Same with him”

The blonde glanced at Marinette from behind his menu and asked, “I sort of wanting the duck rillette, Mari. But I can’t eat all of them of course. How about we share….? Ah - of course, if you want to have a menu by yourself that’s totally fine too”

Marinette smiled and pondered for a moment, “I kind of want the bouillabaisse, but I guess duck rillette is okay too. Let’s go by your suggestion”

“No-wait, look. Let’s just order both shall we? But both in small servings, here it’s written that small is for 1-2 people. How so? If we still hungry after eating them, we can order more” Adrien said.

“Oh-you don’t have to. I mean….”Marinette significantly lowered her voice, “I was planning to share the Bouillabaisse with you. I don’t quite have that much money”

“Oh? I’m paying. I haven’t told you, have I? So worry not”

“No - you can’t! I’m paying for myse…”

“We’ll have one duck rillette and one bouillabaisse, both in small servings.”

“Adrien!”

The waitress watched them with an amused look before chuckling softly and asked, “Is that all?”

“Yes, for now. Thanks”Adrien said.

“Anytime. Enjoy your first date, youngsters”

This time, both of them flushed in red and tried to deny, which the waitress just not listening, snickered softly while walking away.

“ _Adrien Agreste!_ How _dare_ you! I’m paying for myself! It’s too expensive for you to pay alone!”Marinette hissed.

“ _Marinette Dupain-Cheng!_ Yes, I _dare_ to! I’m totally paying for both of us like I’m planning to.”Adrien playfully countered.

Marinette huffed. Not quite annoyed, but more to concerned. She knew that Adrien liked to treat his friends (Marinette dejectedly admitted. _Still friends_ ) and that it was never a big deal for him to do so. But she did not like it how he seemed to feel obligated to treat whenever he asked his friends to hang out.

“Don’t worry Marinette. Next time, I’ll let you choose the place and pay, okay?”Adrien said.

“Next time?”

Adrien’s eyes widened. He just realized what he offered, “Uh…I mean, next time we hang out.”

Marinette’s shoulders slumped a little, “Yeah, sure”. _Hangout_. Okay. She could do hangout. Like usual.

“So, Marinette, how is your first day of tutoring?”

At this, Marinette’s eyes gleamed and for the next forty-five minutes, both of them immersed in a very much engaging conversation about the recent tutoring and _Gabriel_ ’s avant-garde line.

***

The clock struck eleven when Ladybug swung onto Eiffel Tower. She smiled as she saw her partner already standing there, his back facing her, like usual. Her smile grew into a grin when she saw Chat’s purple hair.

“Evening, _Chaton_ ” she said.

Chat Noir turned around and smiled widely, “Good evening, My Lady”

“Another bad hair day?”Ladybug asked.

Chat bashfully grinned. He did not have the time to wash out his hair color when he got home from his dinner with Marinette earlier and he somehow got the thought that his heather colored hair with amethyst highlight was too recognizable, so he decided to just spray a purple washable hair dye on top of his hair before transforming for patrol.

“No. I just had a…well…something going on in my civilian life. Nothing bad. but… well, of course, colorful”Chat said.

“At least it’s not as bad as your flamingo pink hair huh, Chaton? Shall I guess your hair color for the next patrol?”Ladybug said.

Chat grinned, “Well, please do so, My Lady. What do you think my hair will be the next patrol? Or maybe…akuma attack?”

Ladybug thought for a moment before answering, “Orange!”

Chat’s eyebrow shot up, “Orange? Why so?”

Ladybug crossed her arms defensively, “No, why. I just want to guess orange”

Hearing this, Chat laughed, “Okay, okay. I got it. Orange. Let’s see the answer next time then. Anyway, you look _paw_ -somely cheerful, seems like you have a good day, Bugaboo?”

Ladybug’s smile only went wider, “I have a marvellous day, Kitty. How about you?”

“Same, My Lady. Although, specifically, I have a quite spectacular evening. Oh, not that meeting you is less spectacular, but this particular evening was splendid”Chat answered.

“Hot date?”Ladybug asked.

“Ah how frank, My Lady. But no. No hot date. Just a friendly dinner, so rest assured, _mon coeur_ ”Chat said while winking playfully.

Ladybug laughed and patted Chat’s head, “Down, kitty.”

Chat grinned, “So, patrol?”

Ladybug nodded in affirmative, “I’ll let you pick sides this time”

“I’ll go cover West and South”Chat said.

“Got it. I’ll cover North and East”

A moment before they went separate ways, Chat called to Ladybug, “Uh, My Lady? Do you mind if I go straight home after patrol? Wonderful as it is, the patrol with you, but in fact, I really am tired.”

He was not lying. The photoshoot earlier and his dinner with Marinette afterwards really used all of his energy. Not to mention, he got fencing and swimming practices in the morning and afternoon.

Ladybug smiled in understanding. Despite his usual chirpy attitude, she could see that Chat’s a little bit weary,

“Of course I don’t mind. Then I guess, good night. Rest well, _Chaton_ ”

“Rest well, My Lady. Good night”

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that in this fanfic, Marinette doesn't appear to be THAT nervous with Adrien. But, please do remember that in this story, Marinette is already used to hanging out with Adrien (and Luka). Furthermore, to be honest, I don't think Marinette's nervous level is that severe. True, she gets nervous sometimes. But....not to that exaggerated level where she can't string a word around him (remember Gorizilla? She talks to him just fine in my opinion). And...yeah. I don't give many differences between Ladybug and Marinette's personality here. Despite of many stories that put Ladybug and Marinette's comparison like heaven and hell, in my opinion, Marinette doesn't act any different when she's Ladybug. So...yeah.
> 
> Anddd for Adrien. Yes, Adrien. In this fanfic, he appears to be more relaxed and Gabriel doesn't seem to restrict him that much. Well, in this fanfic, they're 17 and I doubt Gabriel kept being overly protective when Adrien gets older. Similar with Marinette, I don't think Adrien acts that different when he is Chat and vice versa. I mean, true, he is more reserved when he is Adrien than when he is Chat. But...that's it. He is still the same goofy Chatdrien in both sides.
> 
> So, pardon me, because there won't be much difference in both Marinette as Ladybug and Adrien as Chat here. Andd...honestly? I don't think Chat is THAT much personification of sin :))). He is Chat. Same goofy old Chat. :))) (Don't judge me. I love Chatdrien. He is cute and that is final)


	5. Chapter 5

Sunday went uneventful for Marinette. She slept late last night since her adrenaline still ran too high after patrol, combined with her excitement from the tutoring, it was impossible for her to sleep. So, spiked with sudden inspiration, she drew several designs last night, going back to her initial intention to design something avant-garde for Chat. All of it made her went to sleep when the clock struck three in the morning. In result, she woke up precisely at ten o’clock and only because her mother had to forcefully wake her up since Alya visited.

She spent half the day with Alya, accompanying her to edit the videos for the Ladyblog, before her mother called right one hour before dinner so that Alya could babysit her sisters since her mother had to go out for the evening.

Right at nine o’clock, after having dinner and scribbling some notes in her diary, Marinette sat on her balcony, hoping to find her partner that evening. She needed to talk to him about her designs, also, she needed to take his measurements. Nothing could beat her excitement for the avant-garde hype.

And it seemed, luck really was in Marinette’s way. Thirty minutes sketching on her balcony, she heard the tell-tale soft padding of Chat’s usual walk. Marinette turned her head and found Chat just landed on her balcony. She noted that her partner’s hair was back to its original angelic blonde which now shone like a halo around his head under her balcony’s light.

“I hope I’m not disturbing anything, _purrincess_?”Chat greeted.

Marinette smiled, “No. Actually, I’m hoping that you visit tonight”

“Oh? Has the _purrincess_ misses the cat?”

Marinette snorted, “Silly kitty. Sit down, Chat. I’ll get you something to drink. Wait a moment”

When Chat had sat on the lounge chair, Marinette slipped beneath her trap door, going to the kitchen to grab some coffee and croissants. The moment she went back to her balcony, she saw Chat studiously staring on her sketches. Her pink sketchbook being cradled gently on his clawed fingers as he seriously studying the designs on it.

“What did I say about curiosity that kills the cat, Chat? I didn’t think you’re the kind to snoop other people’s things”Marinette said.

Chat turned his head and had the manner to be ashamed as he grinned apologetically, “But satisfaction brings the cat back, _non?_ And I have to say that this cat is very much satisfied with your recent developments in your designs, _purrincess_ ”

Marinette put her tray on the table and sat beside Chat. She smiled at the design that Chat had opened. It was her favourite one per se. It was a playsuit, black in colour, with shorts embellished in dual-chromatic fabric and draped as if they were made of steel instead of cloths. The top half was sleeveless, with similar drapery pattern on the chest. Overall, that was quite simple, sleek, androgynous, but still held the unusual breeze of the avant-garde.

“I thought you would’ve liked this one”Marinette said.

Chat studied the design again and pondered for a while before saying, “Well, if I were to wear this, I would add black tights and wear black combat boots. Since in my opinion, it would compliment the vibe so well. And maybe, add round sunglasses for my personal preference”

Marinette smiled, “Then that’s great because I designed this with you in mind”

Chat’s eyes widened, “You did?”

“Well, I did say that I would design some clothes for you right? Those were my attempts to. Any thoughts, Chat?”

Chat put down the sketchbook and took his coffee. He sipped it a little before he started saying, “Generally, I think they’re already more balanced than your previous designs. But I also think these are still way too…general. I mean, yes they are avant-garde. But they aren’t the kind of designs which scream ‘Marinette’s original’. Every designer has that kind of unique touch to their works that can only be found in their original creations”

Marinette nodded, “So you’re saying that these designs aren’t original enough?”

“Harshly saying, yes. But, of course, I didn’t mean that your designs aren’t well. It’s only you need to add more YOU in those designs”Chat said.

Marinette bit her croissants while thinking of her partner's words. A month ago, she would laugh if anyone suggests her to talk about fashion with Chat Noir of all people. But in reality, Chat was just as informative as she was (if not more) in said world. Chat’s words were true. These designs did not really have that distinctive touch of her originality as per usual. The designs were just a textbook version of what people would call as avant-garde.

“Nevertheless _purrincess_ , your tutoring was yesterday, _non_? I could guess from the developments in these sketches compared to the previous one, that your tutoring was a success?”Chat asked.

Marinette looked up from her croissant and smiled brightly, “Oh yes! Jean Voclain, my tutor was absolutely wonderful! It was so informative, the whole of tutoring! And she said that there will be a next tutoring session!”

Chat snapped his fingers (claws?) and grinned, “Well, _purrincess_ , I’m looking forward to your next tutoring result. Anyhow, how many did you design for me?”

Marinette flipped her sketchbook pages and silently counting for a while, “Approximately eight designs by now”

“ _By now_? You can’t possibly make them all!”

Marinette huffed and crossed her arms defensively, “And what do you mean by that?”

Chat blinked and grinned sheepishly, “Don’t take it the wrong way, Marinette. Eight is a big number don’t you think? I personally would prefer if you make one or two but with mesmerizing results.”

Marinette shrugged, “But I can’t even choose from these. I mean…these are…still…what did your words for these…? Ah…unoriginal. Yeah.”

“Then you should choose next time. Maybe you’d measure me first tonight? I always think that having an exact measurement of the person who’ll wear it will help a lot. Mostly because you’ll know how to tweak the design to fit my figure, _non_?”

Marinette smiled and rose from her seat, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hold on tight, Chat. I’ll grab my measuring tape”

“Yes, _Mademoiselle_ ”

The ravenette slipped from her trap door into her room and quickly grabbed her measuring tape before she climbed to her balcony again. Getting Chat’s measurement was easy. Very easy. While most people would squirm or at least getting uncomfortable in some way, Chat looked like he was used to it. So when she was already done measuring Chat, out of curiosity, Marinette asked,

“Are you a model or something, Chat?”

Chat’s eyebrow raised from behind his midnight black mask, “Are you trying to know me better or are you just curious, _purrincess_?”

“I’m curious. It seemed like you’re used to it when someone’s getting your measurement. I mean, I know that it’s uncomfortable for some people, Alya literally squirmed and giggled a lot, saying that I tickled her when I took her measurement some time ago. But you…stood still”

Chat sipped his coffee and waved his clawed point-finger, “Ah ah, _paw_ -don me, _purrincess_. But I can’t tell you that. My answer can blow my co- _fur_ and I absolutely can’t do that. Not when My Lady still doesn’t know about who is beneath these cat ears. She deserves to know first”

Marinette pursed her lips, half of her mind wanting to pinch Chat’s cheek while screaming ‘I’m your freakin’ Lady, Chat!!’ While half of her other mind, which is fairly logical and sounded eerily similar to Tikki, felt as if it soothed her annoyance with empty-unheard-comfort words.

Chat stuffed his face with two more croissants and emptied his coffee cup before he stood up. His tail swishing happily,

“What a wonderful night, don’t you think? But alas, the princess needs her beauty sleep, thus this cat will scat”

Marinette giggled, “‘ _Alas_ ’? Seriously, Chat, you read too much Shakespeare. Read something else. You’re French for God’s sake”

“Ah, are you somehow hobby-shaming me, _purrincess_? How rude. I’m devastated! This pain, I could not bear!”Chat mock-wailed as he put one of his hand on top of his chest dramatically and he twirled around in an unbelievably exaggerated way.

“Hush, you’ll wake the neighbours by your yowling. Go home, Chat”Marinette laughed.

Chat stopped twirling and smiled back. He walked to her balcony’s railing and pulled out his baton. Giving Marinette a friendly wink and a salute,

“Thank you, _purrincess_. Have a good rest. Good night!”

With that, he leapt off her balcony. Leaving Marinette staring fondly at his disappearing back,

“ _Good night, Chat Noir_ ”

***

Adrien never quite liked chemistry. Not when it was Mlle. Mendeleiv who taught them. But he disliked Akuma attacks more. And especially when it was nearing lunch hour, at Wednesday, when his hair was patriot red colour with the end of his hair was coloured in flaming orange and neon yellow, aiming for that fiery look. The photoshoot was last night and he was too tired to wash it out. Actually, he quite liked the colour. It has patriot red, the colour of his Lady’s suit (without the black spots of course). But to meet her with this kind of hair, no no. Big no. His advertisement was scheduled to be published next week and it would not take long for Ladybug to piece everything together. Not that he was scared of identity reveal or anything. It was…his Lady did not want to reveal and he considered her reasoning as valid. It would be too dangerous for the people around them.

So when the akuma first sign was known, Adrien leapt from his seat, blabbering excuse to Mlle. Mendeleiv (who was already distracted by the akuma attack, attempting to find cover for herself), and went straight to the bathroom. There was no time to wash out his entire hair, so he tried to only wash his hair tips.

“What are you doing, Adrien?”Plagg asked.

“Trying to not having a stupid reveal because of a washable hair dye, Plagg”Adrien said while he scrubbed his hair tips desperately.

Plagg watched his wielder with clear amusement, “I don’t think Ladybug would really recognize your hair colour in the midst of an akuma attack though”

Adrien frowned. Plagg’s reasonable. But he could not risk it, “Nah. I never know what’ll happen. Just…give me a minute to wash these hair tips, Plagg”

“Oh? I thought we’re going to skip this one. Won’t you just wash your entire head?”

“No. I can’t possibly leave Ladybug alone. And I think, there are lots of people who have red hair right? So, I just need to wash these orange and yellow and we’re done”

“Hmmm….”

Adrien spent an entire 10 minutes at the bathroom before he transformed to Chat Noir and leapt out from the window. The battle had moved to Parc de Princes. As he got closer, he could see Ladybug crouched behind one row of chairs while the akuma, this time a woman dressed in green robe with green hat, green shoes, green eyes, and greenish skin (hello Hawkmoth, trying to do some Go-Green action there?), stood in the centre of the stadium. Chat soundlessly approached Ladybug and grinned as his Lady frowned at him,

“Where were you? You were unusually late! Did you….”Ladybug glanced at Chat’s hair which was still dripping out water, “…just shower?”

Chat blinked, “ _Paw_ -don me, My Lady. But yes, I was _purr-_ etty occupied in the restroom earlier.”

Ladybug shrugged and turned her head back to the akuma, “Next time make sure you dry yourself properly, Chat. I don’t want you to start sneezing like when you got thrown to the Seine last time.”

A swift silence came before Chat registered Ladybug’s words and grinned, “Thanks, My Lady”

“So, about the akuma, she’s called ‘Green Lantern’. I don’t know what is she. But apparently, she shot these green beams which turn people into plants or vegetations. I tried to distract her a few times but it didn’t work. She’s quite temperamental it seems. A pretty grumpy akuma we have here”

“Oh? That’s interesting actually. I’m quite curious you know. What’ll I be if I get shot?”

Ladybug stood up and wrung out her yoyo, “Absolutely a _cat-_ tus”

Chat’s grin grew wider, “That was _pun_ -derfully _pun_ -tastic, My Lady!” As he followed Ladybug diligently.

They pulled out the one-two perfectly timed attack, several times nearly turned Chat into a _cat_ -tus before he finally charged with a Cataclysm and projected the deadly magic onto the Akuma’s hat after said akuma was being tied up perfectly with a belt from Ladybug’s lucky charm. The green hat slowly burnt black and as it turned into nothingness, a black butterfly flew away, not going too far as Ladybug quickly snatched and purified it. Leaving a very confused florist crouched down beneath the stadium scoreboard.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” shouted Ladybug as she tossed her lucky charm, turning it into magical shimmering pink ladybugs swarming all around Paris.

Chat offered his fist, meeting halfway with Ladybug as they grinned to each other,

“ _Bien joue!_ ”

They swung to the stadium’s roof as police and ambulance swarmed inside Parc de Princes. Chat twirled his baton as he wiggled his eyebrows,

“So, My Lady, since I didn’t get turned into a very much beautiful and mesmerizing _cat_ -tus, I’ve got to say that despite your usual outstanding deductive skill, you’re not so skilled in predicting my hair colour”

Ladybug blinked several times before she finally remembered. _Oh yeah, last time at patrol I guessed that his hair would be orange. But at that time, it was because I thought orange would look cute on him._

“Your hair is red. It’s plenty similar to orange, isn’t it?”Ladybug huffed, not wanting to admit that she was wrong.

Chat laughed, “No it’s plenty different, Buginette”

Ladybug put her hand on her hips and said, “But, I’ve to say that whatever going on in your civilian life is very much colourful, _Chaton_. You’ve changed your hair colour several times. Are you sure your hair is not damaged?”

“Worry not, My Lady. I’ve got _purr_ -fect care of my hair. Anyway, why don’t we make this as a game?”

“A game? What game?”

“A Guessing Game! I’m quite sure that it’ll be several times more of me changing my hair colour, thus you can guess what my next hair colour will be!”

“Okay, what rule will we play?”

“Easy. Let’s take numbers on how many I change my hair colour and we’ll both guess!”

Ladybug squinted her eyebrows, “Won’t that give you a handicap? I mean, it’s YOUR hair.”

Chat grinned. He was in a friendly term with Tristian, his hair-dresser. He could always tell him this game.

“No. I’ll blindfold myself so that I don't know what my hair colour will be when I dye it. I’ll also include my friend who does my hair for me about this game.”

Ladybug hummed, “How about exchanging Snapchat account? You can always send your hair Snapchat to me when it’s being dyed”

“ _Purr_ -fect idea, Buginette! I’ll send you my account later once I’ve made it then. Well then, I guess, the winner is someone who guesses correctly the most?”

“Deal. The winner gets…?”

Chat pondered for a moment before he snapped his clawed fingers, “I want croissants. I soooo love croissants!”

“Croissants? I can just bring those croissants next time on patrol you know. No need to do it in a difficult way”

Chat tsk-ed disapprovingly, “No no, My Lady. I want this specific croissant. I want Tom and Sabine Boulangerie’s extra buttery croissant. Please remember that, extra buttery. One full bag of it. Those are quickly sold out you know? And they only sell it on Wednesday and Friday”

Ladybug laughed, “Did you somehow try to get them by yourself already, Chat?”

Chat pouted, “I did try. But I haven’t succeeded yet and my friend told me those are absolutely heavenly”

Ladybug snorted. True. Her parents’ extra buttery croissants were always quickly sold out and being reviewed by many food bloggers in Paris. Nino always called her mother a day before to secure his share of croissants and he took it the next day. Oh well, but she could always make a special order to her parents for it.

“Deal, _Chaton_. And for the loser?”

“Ah ah, My Lady. You haven’t told me what you want yet if you win”

Ladybug thought for a while before she shook her head, “I can’t think of anything at this moment. I’ll tell you once I know”

Chat nodded and he smiled, “You decide what the loser will get, Bugaboo”

“Oh that, I know precisely. One has to run around Paris, with Trocadero as the starting point and Eiffel Tower as the finish point, while dancing to Hickory Dickory…Dash! The dancing have to be silly and going with the music!”Ladybug grinned.

Chat stared for a whole minute to Ladybug and he blurted his laughter until he needed to crouch down, trying to keep his laughter in control,

“That’s….. _Merde_ , My Lady. I never know you are so…so….”

“…Brilliant?”Ladybug offered.

“…childish!”Chat finished, making Ladybug swatted his cat ears in annoyance (said cat ears flickered as they protested to Ladybug).

Chat stood up and wiped tears from his laughter, “You’ve got yourself a deal, Buginette. Then, let’s start now?”

“I’d like that”Ladybug grinned.

“Then, let’s guess my next hair colour in

…3

…2

…1

…”

“ _Black_ / **Icy blue** ”Ladybug and Chat shouted at the same time. Both of them then grinned.

“Black?”Chat asked.

“Icy blue? What are you? Elsa?”Ladybug giggled.

Chat pouted, “No. I’m clearly Jack Frost!”

Ladybug laughed as she picked her yoyo and wrung it outside Palais de Prince, “Until next time, _Chaton!_ ”

Chat smiled widely and saluted her, “Until next time, My Lady”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah-ha, yeah. Chat as a fashion critique. I'm sorry if I rant a lot about fashion in this story but I just love fashion :)) and I love Chatdrien. So, making Chat as a fashion critique is an absolutely brilliant opportunity that I couldn't miss.
> 
> And also, I know that I made Chat miss the golden opportunity to ask Ladybug out on a date as his prize for the Guessing Game. But...I dunno. I love how comical Adrien's sad expression when he couldn't eat croissants in 'The Gamer' episode so, I just turned Chat into a croissant-holic and I think, since the game's purpose between Ladybug and Chat's purely for fun, the prize shall match also (this fic is by none of other means, my first attempt on humour anyway :))) )
> 
> Ps: Lastly, I don't know that many French songs, moreover silly ones. So I just put Hickory Dickory Dash here, as in my opinion, it's plenty silly.
> 
> Ps 2 : What do YOU think Chatdrien's next hair colour will be? :))
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AFTER RE-READING, I JUST NOTICED A BIG HUGE HUMONGOUS MISTAKE :(
> 
> I FORGOT TO PUT A WHOLE SCENE HERE! OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY.
> 
> So, in any case you're wondering how Adrien almost forgot his jacket or how did Adrien end up escorting Marinette home, I already fixed that. Oh my God I'm sorry. :'(

After seeing Adrien’s recent photoshoot, Marinette most likely had come to a conclusion that Adrien Agreste was an absolute fashion minx. Thus, when next Sunday rolled in, and it was finally the time for her agenda with both Adrien and Luka to Jagged Stone’s concert, she was not surprised. At all. _Or at least, she tried to not looked surprised when she saw him_.

Marinette had waited for a full ten minutes in front of Zenith Paris-La Villette that Sunday evening. People had started to fill in the hall since a while ago. But Adrien and Luka had not yet to come. Luka already told both of them that he might ran late since he still had things to do with his final project in university. While Adrien did not say anything about his tardiness.

The ravenette fiddled with her black tutu absent-mindedly while she typed on the group chat.

_MDC - Where are you guys??_

_Luka C - Sorry. I might need to go a bit later. Just go first!_

It took another whole five minutes before her phone vibrated and she saw Adrien’s reply ;

_Adrien Agreste - Almost there! Hold on!_

Marinette huffed. She put back her phone inside her floral waist bag with Tikki and tapped her black boots on the ground. She had decided to change her usual pink purse to the floral waist bag to match her outfit that day; a black tutu which went until five cm above the knee, high-neck white floral tank top, and black leather boots. The ravenette looked around for another good three minutes before she finally saw him. And that was the time when she decided. _Adrien Agreste is Paris’ biggest fashion minx._

“Marinette! I’m so sorry! Father wanted a meeting with me suddenly!”he said, when he already stood in front of Marinette, tried to comb his wind-tousled hair. This time already back to angelic blonde.

However, Adrien’s apology went straight to deaf ears since Marinette had focused all of her attention to Adrien’s outfit. Those were not _Gabriel_ ’s collection, she was certain of it. But, _boy_ , weren’t those look extraordinarily good on him?

Floral print biker jacket. Clearly from ZARA. And clearly not for men since Marinette had seen it in women’s section in ZARA’s website ( _how the jacket fit perfectly on him was a mystery_ ). The jacket paired with white ripped slim-fit pants and white converse, absolutely looked fashionable on him.

“Marinette…?”he asked again.

Marinette blinked and laughed sheepishly, “Uh, yeah. Sorry for that. I completely zoned out. What did you say?”

Adrien laughed, “I can see you’re eyeing my outfit. Thought these’d fit the whole rock-concert in spring theme. And I was saying that I’m sorry I’m late. Father asked for a sudden meeting”

“Oh? What about?”

“Next photoshoot. The details. Usuals.”

“I see.”

Adrien raised his eyebrows with the lack of reaction from Marinette and soon, when they already inside the hall, he knew why Marinette looked so lost in thought. Marinette tugged his jacket sleeve, making him turned his head,

“Adrien, just to be sure. THIS is ZARA right? Women’s jacket?”Marinette asked.

Adrien smiled wide, “Yeah.”

“Did someone alter it for you? I mean, it fits perfectly”

“Jean did”

“She did?”

“She did”

“Wow.”

Adrien chuckled at Marinette’s awestruck expression. He literally picked the jacket from ZARA’s women section last season, after consulting with both Jean and Nathalie. At first Nathalie had been reluctant with her advice, but after two nights of considering, the woman had given her positive comment regarding said jacket. Jean had advised him to pick the largest size to accommodate his wide shoulders and offered to alter the rest of the measurements to fit his size. And Adrien admitted, the jacket, albeit maybe feminine looking, was glorious. He loved the details, the neat lining, the soft peachy colour, and the soft pinkish floral pattern. In his not so humble opinion, it matched his complexion perfectly.

Marinette looked as if she still wanted to continue her comment about Adrien’s jacket, but then, Jagged’s voice boomed in the hall, making both Marinette and Adrien forgot the topic of ZARA’s jacket for awhile. And said jacket was more forgotten when Luka finally joined them fifteen minutes later.

.

.

.

.

.

The concert was finally done when clock struck nine. The trio walked out from the hall with face flushing in pink from so much shouting and singing, still smiling widely and chatting excitedly about the concert.

“I mean, truly, I always know that Jagged’s songs are fantastic but those three songs from his on-coming album are glorious!”Adrien said excitedly.

“Totally. I feel the vibe is quite different from his usual song. Bringing out new feelings!”Marinette added.

Luka snapped his fingers, “Allow me to elaborate, actually. It’s because he uses different octaves and scales. He usually uses the diminished sevenths or chords which are majorly winging towards major scales. For this one, he uses solely only minor ones. THAT is maybe the vibe you’re talking about, Marinette”

Marinette raised her eyebrows, “I don’t….actually get it. Do you, Adrien?”

Adrien flicked his bangs, “ I do. I AM well-informed about music theories afterall”

“Showoff”

“Brilliantly so”

The three of them erupted into laughter as they walked. Partway, Luka bid them goodbye since he had a meet-up with his band at a bar nearby. Walking a bit further from the bar Luka mentioned, Adrien offered,

“It’s getting late, maybe you prefer a ride home?”

Marinette hummed thoughtfully and glanced to the night sky. It was dark, velvety, and scattered with stars. The breeze was nice too. She shook her head,

“No thanks. I’d like to walk home. It would be such a waste to not savour all the good things this night” then she blinked and waved her hand, “Unless of course, you want your chauffeur to pick you up, please do so. I can walk by myself just fine. My house is only several blocks away”

Adrien frowned, “I am not the kind who’d let a lady walk home by herself at night, Marinette. I’ll walk you home. Don’t worry about me”

“Well, thank you then, _Monsieur Agreste_ ”

“Don’t call me that. It sounds weird. Feels like I’m as old as my father”

Marinette had to let out a good laugh for that remark. They walked again in comfortable silence. It was not until two blocks later that a quite strong windy blew. Marinette quickly put her hand on top of her skirt to not let it got blown away. Looking at her thoughtfully, Adrien shrugged off his jacket.

“Here. Wear this”he offered.

“What? No no. You don’t need to”

“I insist. It’s getting quite cold and your clothes don’t really giving you much warmth either. Please do take it, although it may not be your style of choice”

Marinette grasped the jacket before put it on herself. The jacket held the scent of some masculine fragrance, probably after-shave also mixed in, and she did not mind even one bit.

“It’s baggy”she exclaimed.

“Not that much.”Adrien retorted. “Your fault though. Shortie”

“HEY!!”

***

Ladybug perched ontop of Trocadero that night, precisely eleven o’clock. She hummed a song to herself, still felt happy from her outing earlier. Adrien had walked her to her home and bid her goodbye, almost forgetting his floral jacket. True that she got over the embarassing stutters and true that she was in a better term with Adrien than ever. But those did not mean her feelings fade. Not even the slightest. It was more subtle now. Like a buzz of electric than an explosion.

“Beautiful night isn’t it, My Lady?”

Without turning her head, Ladybug smiled, knowing that her one and only partner was there.

“Indeed, Chaton. Here, sit”

It only took three soundless strides for the black-clad superhero to be beside Ladybug. He sat down and smiled,

“You look happy, Buginette. Something good happening?”

Ladybug nodded, “You too. Anything good happening? Anything….colourful, perhaps?”

Chat snickered at her subtle joke, “No. Not today. But soon, I suppose.”

A comfortable silence wrapped around them for a moment before the feline superhero snapped his fingers,

“I suddenly remembered, My Lady. I’ve made my Snapchat account, what about you?”

“Oh yes, that. I have too.”Ladybug eyed her partner, “Exchange?”

Chat nodded as he pulled out his baton and turned the screen on. They exchanged their usernames and added each other as friends.

It was a pretty night. After their small interaction in exchanging their Snapchat username, they engulfed in that comfortable silence again. Ladybug scooted closer to Chat and laid her head on his shoulder, feeling both warm and safe.

“Chat?”she called.

“Yes, My Lady?”

“Where do you see yourself in ten years?”

“In a chapel, with you walking down the aisle as my bride”

Ladybug straightened herself, frowning, “Be serious.”

Chat smiled cheekily, “I am serious, Buginette”

Ladybug huffed and turned her head away, trying to calm down her nerves. Yes she still liked Adrien Agreste. Yes her feelings for that particular Agreste boy was nothing but amplified. But more often than not, Chat’s flirting could still managed to draw out some blushes from her. Especially these recent years where he tuned down his exaggerated flirtings and opted for subtle-but-sincere-ways instead. Before she was a superhero, she was only an ordinary girl afterall. Besides, who would not be flattered being courted by the famous debonair Chat Noir?

Seeing Ladybug turned her head away from him, Chat pouted, “Awww come on Bugaboo. I was just teasing. Honestly? There is no way I can answer your question without me revealing my identity”

Ladybug raised her eyebrows, “Why? Is your goal something really specific? I mean, there are my friends who have…well…general ideas. Like…being a reporter, or a journalist”

“It is not my goal per se. Now that I think of it, I never really given a thought of what my goals are. Ten years from now? I know exactly where I’ll be. So exact and precise that it is not well-deserved to be called as a goal. Well, what about you Ladybug?”

Ladybug pursed her lips for a while. It was her who started the questions but now that Chat asked back, she realized that she needed a vague answer. Nothing too revealing about her enthusiasm over Gabriel Agreste’s works, considering that Chat and Marinette met a lot these days on.

“I want to be a designer”then she simply stated. Best to be basic.

Chat’s eyes blinked, “Oh?”

“What? You don’t think I can be one?”

He waved his hands quickly, “No no no no no. Of course not. You can pull anything off once you set your mind to it, My Lady. I know you quite well after all. But…well… I just find it to be interesting. I’m…. well… I happen to be in that side of the world as well”

Ladybug curled her lips into a knowing smile. Chat had told Marinette the same thing previously.

“What side of the world?”

“That. Beauty and fashion side. Maybe ten years later we will stumble to each other without us knowing it at all, My Lady”

“Why ‘without us knowing’, _Chaton_? Do you rather not knowing who am I at all?”

Chat gaped. Because….what? What did she just say?

Ladybug turned her head to look at Chat only to find him gaping like fish out of water. She snorted ungracefully,

“What? You just can’t hope that we will NEVER knows each other in real life! Just because I don’t want us to share identity NOW doesn’t mean I don’t want us to share identity EVER. You know why better than anyone”

Chat snapped his mouth shut and looked bashful, “Well… of course, My Lady. It’s just that I…um…to put it simply, I always want us to know each other better. So hearing you say that particular fact that someday we will is delightful”

Ladybug smiled sincerely. Chat had matured greatly during these years. Comparing to how they first met when they were fourteen and with how their current seventeen almost eighteen old selves now, there were lots of difference. Good difference, too. She ruffled Chat’s hair adoringly,

“You’re my bestfriend. Of course I want to know you better as well. You should know that Chat”

The smile she got in return could light up the whole Paris by itself.

***

Tristian Benedict was Adrien’s friend. He already knew the Agreste heir since that boy first started modelling and he first started as a hair-stylist. So he knew that under all those perfect mannerism, Adrien was just an ordinary teenage boy with all the quirkiness. So when Adrien told him the little game he had with his friend, Tristian did not even bat an eye. He laughed and told the boy that they would find a way to keep Adrien’s eyes closed through the next hair-dyeing, since a blindfold would surely be in the way. (although he did think that it was quite weird when Adrien specifically told him to take the photo of just the basic colour layer. But, he supposed, it was because telling your friend the specific colour will be difficult. For example, telling someone that your hair would be dyed as orange was always easier than ‘amber with the honey balayage and orange highlight’. Not that he would dye Adrien’s hair orange. Not this time)

“So, you’re guessing your hair colour too, right?”Tristian asked as he mixed the hair-dye.

Adrien peeled a breathable medical eye-patch band-aid and put it over his right eye as he answered, “Yes. And I’m guessing Icy blue”

Tristian barked a laugh, “What? You think you are Olaf or something?”

Adrien almost dropped his other eye-patch that he held as he let out a loud laugh, “Why Olaf of all things??”

Tristian grinned, “Because saying that you want to be Elsa will just float your ego, Agreste”

This time, Adrien had to think before he laugh. Would Elsa feel offended or appreciated that someone thought he wants to be her?

The hair-dyeing process was a long one. With him not having much sleep that day (patrol was last night and he had to wake up early for his hair appointment today), his eyes are blinded, and the comfortable air conditioning system, Adrien soon found himself snoozing.

Tristian woke him up a while later, asking him to go to the hairwashing chair. Dragging his feet, Adrien flopped to said chair as Tristian washed his hand thoroughly. He was practically went back asleep once his hairstylist dragged him back to his previous chair after finished washing his hair.

The vibrating of his phone was what woke him up sometime later. Tristian was still applying products to his hair,

“I sent the picture of your basic hair colour to your phone”

Adrien grinned, “Geez thanks. Can’t wait to see male-Elsa in a few hours”

“Don’t be so sure”

Adrien slept again for another few hours after that. Finally, Tristian tapped his shoulder to wake him up,

“We need to wash your hair. Wake up Olaf”

He groaned and stood up. Peeled off the eye patch band-aid, avoiding to look at his reflection on the mirror. He followed Tristian to the hairwash chair and stretched out there.

“You didn’t sleep or something man? You’re like…sleeping through all the process and those were three long hours, mind you”Tristian said.

“I slept. Barely.”Adrien mumbled, still feeling drowsy.

As soon as Tristian finished washing his hair, Adrien went back to his chair and his hairstylist started drying and styling his hair. When Tristian set off the hairdryer and started combing his hair, along with applying hair mousse, it was the time Adrien finally looked at the mirror. And boy, did he even recognize himself?  
His hair, originally blonde, was dyed with jet-black colour. So black that it tinged blue (his heart fluttered as it reminded him of his lady). But that was not the surprise. The basic colour was black, but it was then being topped with colourful ombre. The blue-tinged black faded to shades of purple and blue. The colours were vivid and have been painted on to create a beautiful sweeping effect.

Adrien could not peel his eyes off of his hair as Tristian combed and styled it to a quite different style than his usual one.

“I have to say that this particular hair is great”Tristian exclaimed as he put back his comb, meaning he finished styling Adrien’s hair. “Although working on it is a pain in the ass. This one is not instant washable and will need quite a while before it faded”

The hairstylist walked off for a while before he went back shortly and shoved a tube to Adrien’s hand. Adrien finally woke up from his awestruck moment and looked to the tube given.

“What is this?”he asked.

“A browcara. Mascara for your brows. I specifically prepared that for you. I can’t possibly dye your eyebrows, too. But, at least, darken it a bit will you? Unless you’d look rather stupid”

Adrien blinked and looked again at his reflection on the mirror. This time, focusing on his face rather than his hair. True. At a glance, he look good. But, look at him long enough and his blonde eyebrows would start to look comical.

“I know that something happened with your outfit for the next photoshoot, so that photoshoot is rescheduled. But I can’t reschedule your appointment. Yes even if it is M Agreste himself who ask me. I can’t possibly cancel all my other appointments. So, in the mean time, use that browcara to avoid looking stupid in your everyday life, man”Tristian said.

Now he knew why his father insisted that this hair colour to not be instant washable or the fast-wash-out type as usual. He was being called last evening by his father to talk about the photoshoot Tristian mentioned anyway (making him late to go to Jagged’s concert). Said photoshoot was scheduled to be tomorrow. But due to some mishaps within the seamstresses, it had to be rescheduled to next week. Sadly, his appointment with Tristian could not be postponed or rescheduled (thank God the appointment to the nail salon can be rescheduled. No do not ask him why he needs to go there). He had to miss half school day because of this particular appointment, too. Usually it only took him about one to one and a half hour to dye his hair since it would only be instant washable. But this time, he did not have the same luxury.

Adrien shrugged. He bid Tristian goodbye when his chauffeur arrived. As his car rolled smoothly on the road, Adrien opened the picture message from Tristian. The photo made him grin. It was his hair. From the back side and the profile side, with Tristian’s hand neatly covering his face from the camera. Good. Now his lady can see this photo without revealing his identi…..OH SHIT. His train of thought went to a halt once he remembered. _His hair was dyed black_. It means, he lost a round.

Grudgingly, Adrien opened his Snapchat account and type a message to Ladybug, sending the photo simultaneously. His lady did not disappoint. The reply came back immediately, making him pout.

_Madame Red ; 1-0, Chaton ;)_

***

Marinette was chatting with Alya animatedly about a huge order at the bakery that afternoon when the class door opened. She was just about to turn her head to see who was coming when Nino’s voice blarred,

“Hey du….WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO YOUR FRIGGIN’ HAIR!?!?!”

All of a sudden, her attention sucked to the person walking in. Adrien, dressed in his usual blue jeans, paired with white T-Shirt, and yellow egg-yolk bomber jacket, stood in front of the class. Seeming startled from Nino’s loud voice. He ran his hand on his dark hair sheepishly. _Wait_. Dark hair?

Marinette blinked and looked at him again. Yes. Definitely dark hair. His hair had been dyed to black and…. God, was that unicorn ombre? She kept her eyes locked on Adrien’s hair as he slid on his chair beside Nino.

“Looking good, Agreste!”Alix’s off-handed praise was shouted from her seat behind.

Adrien turned his body to face Alix and he grinned, “Thanks!”

“Geez, you should definitely invite me to your hairdresser sometime”

“Maybe after all the spring photoshoot rush. How about it?”

“Sweet! You’ll come along won’t you, Juleka?”Alix looked at Juleka.

The referred girl smiled, “I will. Luka might want to tag along, too”

Adrien’s smile blew wider, “Alright”

When Adrien turned back his body to face the front, Nino shook his head, “They even dyed your brows??”

Adrien snickered, “No. Of course not. My hairstylist gave me a browcara”

“Brow…..what?”

Adrien fished out his browcara from his jeans and showed it to Nino, “Browcara. Mascara for brows”

“And just what the hell is mascara?”

This time, Adrien had to laugh, “Alya, I think you need to teach Nino some of your makeup names”

The brunette who sat behind him snickered, “Nah. He won’t remember any. Right, Marinette?”

Alya looked at Marinette who still had the awestruck look on her face and raised her eyebrows,

“Marinette?”

Since Adrien came in, she had not be able to peel off her eyes from his hair. It was dark. Jet black. Midnight black. So black that it had the tinge of blue. Then the unicorn ombre. Not straightforward ombre like Alya’s. It looked like a waterfall of colour. The colour swept back and forth as the hair moved. She really want to run her hand on his hair and watched the colour unravel.

“A-Adrien!”Marinette squeaked. Her face flushed red on her sudden stutter.

Adrien looked at Marinette and smiled, “Yes?”

“Can I…. Can I touch your hair?”

For that question, Nino let out a whoop while Alya whistled softly. Adrien blinked a few times, suddenly looking bashful,

“Um…it’s…alright, I guess?”

A blush crawled to Marinette’s face rapidly as she digest her request and she began to flail her hand everywhere, “I… I mean, it’s a very pretty colour and it got prettier when your hair moved so I just… I just want to see the colour spread out when I…when I run my hand on it…”

Adrien’s eyes got wide but then an understanding flashed on his face. He chuckled and nodded,

“Go on”

Adrien had leaned back on his chair so that Marinette could freely touch his hair by leaning forward a bit. Staggering a little, Marinette ran her fingers on Adrien’s hair. Said hair was surprisingly very soft sans the feeling of hair product. She began to ruffle the hair (blatantly ignoring Alya's obvious teasing), watching the colours spreaded out like waterfall on her fingers. _What an amazing piece of hair work_.

On the other hand, Adrien had a whole other problem. The feeling of Marinette’s fingers ruffling on his hair was heavenly. It felt a lot like how Ladybug pet his hair usually and it relaxing. So very relaxing. He could just shut his eyes and went to lalaland in a bliss, if not for the familiar rumble which started to gather on his chest. He bit his inner cheek, trying to let down the incoming purr and focusing on Marinette’s fingers instead.

This going on for another minute and probably would be longer as Adrien did not mind it at all and Marinette was too busy adoring his hair, if only Mme Bustier’s voice not interrupt them,

“Class is starting, M Agreste, Mlle Dupain-Cheng. You can continue your little date afterclass”

Adrien’s eyes opened in a flash as Marinette’s hand jerked away like dropping hot iron. Their classmates laughed at them from behind as their teacher only smiled and shook her head,

“Teenagers…”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! I'm finally back!!

“Didn’t know you have a thing for Marinette, dude”

That was Nino’s first comment when school ended. Nino and he were walking down the street to try a new dumpling place when all of a sudden that comment popped up.

“A thing? What do you mean by ‘a thing’?”Adrien asked.

“Well, y’know….like a crush or something? Or an interest? Cause you looked reeeeeaaaaaallllyyyy comfortable when she played with your hair”

Adrien frowned. Not that he hated the idea but…well, let’s say, he still held a candle for Ladybug, for his Lady. Nino shoved a chopstick in front of him as if he was fencing when Adrien was about to open his mouth,

“And don’t friggin give me the old ‘She’s just a friend’ answer. I’ve heard enough of that from you during collége”

Adrien frowned a little bit more, “Okay. She’s _my bestfriend_. There”

Nino groaned, “Holy Heavens my dude. Are you seriously don’t realize how you keep giving heart eyes to her?”

Adrien shook his head. He was comfortable around Marinette. Their friendship already lasted for about four years (almost five) and it was a quite normal thing to think of. But he never considered as ‘giving heart eyes’ to Marinette.

“Trust me, dude. I know a couple meant to be when I see one”Nino said.

Adrien snorted, “What are you? A matchmaker?”

Nino grinned, “Heck, yeah. A reliable one, too”

Both of them laughed and let the conversation led to a different topic. Nevertheless, Adrien felt his mind kept reeling back to Nino’s words. _Does he really give Marinette heart eyes?_

_***_

Nevermind the awkward conversation with Nino earlier that day. Adrien ….correction, Chat Noir went to Marinette’s house that exact evening. He could hear Jagged Stone’s songs blared from inside Marinette’s room when he landed softly on her balcony. Chat then knocked the trap door and had to hold back a laugh when he heard a yelp, a crash, and a bang (simultaneously in that order). Not long after, the trap door opened and Marinette’s pouting face came to his vision.

“Oh my God, Chat! You surprised me!”she frowned.

“Evening, _purrincess_. I’ve decided to check on your _meowvelous_ project’s _purrogress_. Do you mind?”Chat smiled.

Marinette shook her head, “Not at all. I just finished sewing the playsuit. Not yet the details. But I need you to… _uh…_ just…come inside first would you?”

Chat’s eyes widened and he scratched the back of his neck bashfully, “Is that alright? I mean, is this okay? Your parents…”

“Oh, shush. They’re fine. Hop in. And…try to not step on my bed with those boots”

Chat extended his baton until it reached Marinette room’s floor and he swiftly came inside the room using said baton. Neatly not touching the bed with his boots as per request. He stood near Marinette’s desk not moving a paw as he looked around Marinette’s room as a sudden familiarity rising in his heart. Said room well…was so very _pink_. So very _Marinette_. But other than that, it looked just like how his father’s study usually. Fabric rolls in various shades of black and grey lined up neatly on the wall while two of said rolls were currently on her chaise lounge, scrapes of cut fabric strung here and there (on her desk, on her chair, on her chaise lounge arm, everywhere), scissors and pencils scattered on her desk near a pile of scrapes, three mannequins stood in her room with two lined up next to the fabric rolls on the wall and one mannequin stood in the centre of her room currently having the prior said playsuit on it. It was pretty much a mess. But anyhow, an organized mess it was.

“Come here”Marinette said as she stood beside the mannequin.

Chat carefully padded along and standing in front of her, eyeing the playsuit. It was still plain. But clearly a clean and neat handiwork. Maaayybeeee a little bit _too short_ for him to wear (according to his personal preference anyway. But if it was for modelling, well, he would wear it for the Fashion Week without any fuss).

“Can you try it on?”Marinette asked.

Chat’s eyes widened, “You mean…you want me to…unmask?”

Marinette gaped. Oh, damn. One thing she forgot. That damn mask. Chat’s suit was not as body-fitting as hers so she could not possibly just ask him to wear the playsuit over it. She drummed her fingers on her chin and she spotted a goodie bag on her desk. Marinette reached for the goodie bag and handed it to Chat.

“Wear this over your head”she said.

Chat’s lips curled into an amused smile as his clawed fingers cradled the neon purple goodie bag Marinette gave him, “This?”

Marinette crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded firmly, “Yes. I don’t need to see your face anyway. I just need to see how the playsuit would look like on you. So…problem solved? I can cut holes on that goodie bag, too. So that you can still see. Do you mind?”

Chat shook his head, “No. Please do make the holes here. I would like my eyesight, thank you”

Marinette snatched the goodie bag and quickly cut two even holes on it before she handed it back to Chat.

“My room doesn’t have a bathroom but you can change into this on that corner. I won’t look at you.”Marinette said as she gave the playsuit to Chat too.

Chat wiggled his eyebrows, “Awwww, why not? You won’t be disappointed to peek. I’m quite a feast for the eyes”

Marinette laughed and shoved Chat backwards gently, “Stop teasing start changing”

“Alright alright”

Chat swiftly hid on the corner that Marinette pointed earlier, making sure Marinette did not peek before he whispered,

“ _Claws in_ ”

As soon as Plagg swirled out from his ring, the black-cat kwami looked around and snickered, “Aww, finally going to reveal your identity to your _princess_ first eh loverboy?”

“Oh my God. Shut up Plagg and no revealing identity here”

Marinette had to hold a snicker at Chat’s annoyed voice at his kwami. As she heard the rustle of fabric as Chat undresses and put on the playsuit, Plagg, Chat’s Kwami, zipped right in front of her and smiling widely.

“Evening, Marinette”he chirped. His eyes twinkled in sheer secrecy.

“Evening to you too. Plagg isn’t it?”Marinette smiled, _what a mischievous kwami_. “I’ve heard Chat’s complaint about you all the time” _both to Marinette and to Ladybug_.

Plagg’s grin went larger and he winked, “He is such a drama queen.”the little black cat looked around him cautiously as if he searched for something.

“You can always go to my drawer, Plagg. I believe I put some cheese there”Marinette smiled before she added with a voice much lower, “ _and a good company_ ”

Plagg grinned and to the drawer he went. Right at that time, Chat tapped Marinette’s shoulder and she turned around only to find Chat stood behind her with that _neon purple goodie bag on his head_. Marinette’s lips curled into an amused smile which soon turned into an ungraceful snort that she failed to suppress.

“Rude”Chat protested. His voice sounded a little muffled from behind the goodie bag.

“But you look hilarious!”Marinette exclaimed.

Chat put his hand on his hip and started to strike a pose, “Don’t mind the hidden beauty beneath this…ah, aesthetic disguise _purrincess_. Admire my flawless posture instead”

Marinette snorted again as she swatted his upper arm, “Stay still. I need to see the clothes”

“ _Oui mademoiselle_ ”

Chat stood still after that as Marinette raked her eyes all over the playsuit he wore. It fitted him perfectly. Although the playsuit fell a little bit too short on him. She plucked her pin-cushion on her desk and walked to him again.

“Don’t fidget Chat. I’m going to do some fitting”

It was admirable how Chat was able to keep standing still. Marinette would never guess that he was able to do that, judging from his energetic upbringing.

“What do you think of the playsuit once it is on me, Marinette?”Chat asked.

“It fits you perfectly. But a little bit too short. I’ll alter this to be a bit more form-fitting since I need to drape some clothes over this also”Marinette answered.

Silence for a while before Chat quipped, “How about adding some chiffon or silk?”

“Silk?”

“Or chiffon. Not trying to disrespect your design by any means, _purrincesse_. But in my opinion, this playsuit is a bit too short, too. It won’t cut out for the androgynous silhouette if it fell too short. It might lean too much to the feminine side, though if that’s what you’re striving for then it is completely alright. So I thought, how about sewing an additional layer of chiffon or silk over the shorts?”

Marinette pondered for a while. True. The design itself is already majorly feminine. Playsuit and all. The current work that Chat wore right now was a little too short. It fell rather high on his thigh. She was actually aiming for the playsuit to fell about six centimetres longer than its current length (right now the playsuit looked very much like hot pants). But adding layers would make the playsuit to lose its sleek silhouette. What could she do…?

“I’m agreeing that this needs more alteration so that this doesn’t feel too feminine instead of androgynous. But, good as it may be, your suggestion for the additional layers, I can’t put it on this design. I’m aiming for a clean, sleek, silhouette after all. But I’ll think of something”Marinette finally said.

Chat made an understanding hum. _Sleek and clean silhouette_. He grinned. Well, actually he could point out some things that he had seen in the fashion industry. Specifically in the androgynous setting. Getting that particular sleek and clean silhouette did not mean they despise drapery and layering. It was all about fabric choice and cutting technique. That was why he suggested chiffon or silk to Marinette. But… oh well ( _he grinned again_ ), he would let Marinette figure that out by herself. Hopefully Jean would point that out to her.

Ten minutes later, Marinette finally stood up and said, “All done! You can change your clothes again, Chat!”

“Are you sure it is done? You’re awfully quick”

“It is done. For now”

“Alright. If you say so”

Chat shuffled to the corner where he changed clothes earlier, shucking off the goodie bag ( _he had to muffle a laugh when he saw that neon purple_ ) before he cautiously peeled the playsuit off his body. He quickly redressed to his jeans and sweatshirt before he chanted ‘ _Claws out_ ’ softly. With a zap of green light, Chat was back, clad in his black attire. He picked the playsuit carefully as he walked towards Marinette.

“I hope you can figure out your design, _purrincess_ ”he smiled.

“Thank you, Chat”Marinette replied. She retrieved the playsuit and put it on her mannequin again before she continued, “Now, sit down. I’ll fetch us some snacks. Tea or chocolate?”

Chat grinned, “Chocolate please”

As Marinette smiled and went downstairs, he told himself, he came here at first some time ago because he wanted some company. But well, look at this positive outcome. In his opinion, he did a very good job being Marinette’s friend. Both as Adrien and as Chat. He puffed his cheeks in delight. He could brag about this to anyone who would and could listen.

_“Didn’t know you have a thing for Marinette, dude”_

 

Wait. No. That’s not it. Shut up Nino.

 

 

_“Holy Heavens my dude. Are you seriously don’t realize how you keep giving heart eyes to her?”_

 

He said, shut up. No no.

 

 

_“Trust me, dude. I know a couple meant to be when I see one”_

 

Shut it dude!

 

That was not it. No. Marinette was his friend. His precious friend. His adorable, pretty, beautiful, talented…..Goodness. What’s getting into him?

_Marinette is his friend dammit!_

Chat shook his head. His cheeks felt burning up as he scrunched his eyes. Stop it. Marinette was his precious friend. He was content. That was it. _Besides, reject him all she wants, he still heads over heels for Ladybug, remember?_


End file.
